The force and the leaves
by dragondaysareover
Summary: Rachel spends her vacation week in New York and something unexpected happens when she gets on the metro. *Not my mother tongue. If you find any mistakes, feel free to correct me!*
1. Chapter 1

Tons of buildings stood up straight in front of her, impressive and majestic as only New York skyscrapers could be, leading her to look up to the sky and believe in eternity and greatness. She'd been there for a few days for her holiday break and she had already fallen in love with the city from the beginning. But, really, who would not fall in love with New York and its light, its noise, its life. She was just one of the victims of its enchantment.

She wasn't in New York only for her holidays, she was also pursuing a dream: becoming a stage performer. She had performed in minor plays across her home state, Ohio, and this time she had decided to audition for something bigger.

She arrived at the waiting room and took a seat while she was giving a quick look at the people. She saw good looking girls rehearsing their lines and small talking to each other. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to get anything, and started to feel nervous. Suddenly the door opened and a guy with a list appeared.

'Berry, Rachel Berry' he shouted. She took her bag and got into the room. There were three people sitting at the table in front of her, chatting and laughing until the guy of the list took a seat with them.

'Good morning, please introduce yourself and then you can start' said a man with glasses who was sitting in the middle and looked like the director.

'Good morning, I'm Rachel Berry, and…' she took a breath 'and I'm auditioning for the role of Blanche DuBois' She started performing the lines she had been rehearsing all these days 'May I speak plainly?... If you'll forgive me, he's common... He's like an animal. He has an animal's habits. There's even something subhuman about him. Thousands of years have passed him right by, and there he is. Stanley Kowalski, survivor of the Stone…'

'Thank you Miss Berry. We will call you and let you know our decision' interrupted the man of the glasses. She swallowed and nodded slowly, grabbed her bag and got out of the room as fast as she could. She blamed herself for having high hopes and not thinking realistically. She should have auditioned for another minor play and she wouldn't have been this disappointed in herself.

She decided to go back to her hotel and have some rest, she didn't want to let this ruin her holidays, though it was going to be a difficult task. She walked down the metro stairs and waited until it arrived. She got on and sat down next to a boy listening to his iPod. The train parted and she was getting lost in her thoughts when suddenly she heard the sound of a keyboard and she leaned forward looking for the music and saw an Asian girl playing a small keyboard and people around her staring at her. After a few chords of the keyboard, a guitar started to sound on the other side of the car. A boy with a mohawk was playing it with a smile on his face while he glanced at another girl who began to sing. The half-black girl stood up and began moving up and down the aisle singing and smiling at people while their friends accompanied her with background vocals. That was really amusing her and surprising her at the same time, those kind of things would never happen in Lima. They were all up performing in the middle of the car when she heard the sound of a xylophone, a toy xylophone actually. She turned her head and saw a blonde girl also standing up hitting the bars. She also began to sing the next verse of the song with a sweet voice that made her smile and stare at her in amazement. They crossed eyes for a while and Rachel could notice that girl had beautiful hazel eyes and that she was smiling at her, which made her flush and turned her gaze away in embarrassment. The girl walked towards her seat and smiled at her once more as she turned around to an old lady who was clapping at the music. The song was coming to an end and so the train was approaching another station when the band members stuck their hands in their pockets and grabbed some sort of leaflets and threw them all over the car. People started picking them up and reading them. She took a couple of them and did as well. It said things about how important music is for people, about how a smile can be healthy and so on. Each one was different. The car doors opened and she saw the band hopping off and she felt a mysterious force that lead her to get up and hop off too. She followed her instinct and she saw herself staring at the group of performers who were laughing, hi fiving each other and celebrating. She looked for the blonde girl and when she found her among their friends, she realized that she was also looking at her smiling. She flushed again and turned around to hide herself. She could hear them leaving through the stairs, so she decided to follow them as she stuck the leaflets she had picked up again in her pocket.

They had turned left and they were running up the stairs to another metro line. She stopped every few steps so that she wouldn't get caught in her stalkerish mission.

'Wanna join us?' she heard a voice behind her and jumped with fright

'Fuck' she could only curse while she tried to calm herself. The blonde giggled shyly 'No, I mean, I was just hurrying to the train…I'm late for…work. Yeah, work.' She heard herself rambling.

'Aha' The blonde girl walked up the stairs and turned to look at Rachel one more time 'then hurry up, you won't want to miss it' she said with a big smile.

She felt the same force again, it really took over her feet and moved her towards the girl and she started to feel a bit scared about that feeling. She reached the platform and run to catch the train that was about to leave. She saw them taking positions and starting their show, but this time It was a different song. The blonde handed her the xylophone mallet and whispered the notes she had to hit. As soon as it was her turn, the hazel-eyed girl held the xylophone closer to Rachel and urged her to play the notes. At first she was a bit embarrassed but as she was playing the music she felt full of life and a big smile crossed her face.

As they had done earlier, they threw the leaflets and hopped off the car and Rachel did the same.

'Hey! Great job!' said the guy with the mohawk as he shook her hand and everyone agreed. Rachel could not stop laughing and smiling, she completely forgot the bad day she was having. 'Hi, I'm Noah. Well, everybody calls me Puck' he introduced himself.

'Hi, I'm Rachel. Nice to meet you'

'I'm Tina' said the Asian girl 'She's Santana' the half-black girl shook her hand and smiled.

'And I'm Quinn' she smiled sweetly and lifted her hand waiting for the brunette to hold it.

'Quinn…nice to meet you' she shook her hand slowly and could feel the softness of her skin. It sent her chills through her spine.

'You have any leaflets left?' Santana asked them. They checked their pockets but none of them had more papers. 'Then we're done for today. I'm starving, who wants something to eat?' They all raised their hands with excitement and headed to the exit. Quinn remained behind to wait for Rachel.

'I thought you were late for work' she whispered smirking. Rachel laughed and admitted the lie.

'I was worried you might think I was a stalker or something. But I'm on vacation, actually.'

'Really? Then you'll have time to join us for dinner, what you say?' said the blonde looking straight into her eyes.

'I'd…love to'

They went to a bar near that station and talked throughout the dinner about their careers and their funny pastime.

'So what did you mean with 'we're done for today' Rachel asked them.

'Once in a while we gather together and we play some music in the metro' started explaining Tina

'We get on the metro, we start playing and singing and when we finish the song and the train stops we throw the leaflets and get off' Quinn continued staring at Rachel and smiling with that sweet smile that she already knew 'then we choose another line and we get there and do the same…until we run out of leaflets' she concluded the explanation with a laugh.

'Wow… that's pretty amazing' exclaimed Rachel.

'Have you read any of them?' asked Santana.

'Yeah, I've got some here' she took the leaflets she had in her pocket and started reading them 'It takes 17 muscles to smile. It's the simplest exercise! Be healthy and smile!' she picked up the other one and read it 'A life without music is not worth living' she smiled and folded the papers and put them in her bag 'Whose idea was it?' she asked. They pointed at Quinn.

'This crazy girl over here' said Noah and Quinn rolled her eyes. Now it was her who turned her head in embarrassment. Rachel simply nodded and smiled. 'Hey, we're having a party tonight at Q's place, wanna come?' he offered but soon realized he shouldn't have invited her without permission 'Whoops, should have asked you first, right Q?' he protected himself with his hands laughing at the same time.

'It's ok, I was gonna tell her myself' she smiled at her one more time

'I don't know, I kinda feel like I'm intruding…'

'Nonsense, you're totally welcomed. I promise' replied Quinn and held her hand for Rachel to shake it. She shook it gently and smiled at her while they slowly lowered their hands that were still glued together. Rachel noticed it and took it away embarrassed.

This was going to be an interesting evening.


	2. Chapter 2

Puck and Tina were dancing to the song they had chosen on the laptop and laughing at their tipsy clumsiness. Another boy joined them hugging Tina while Santana took pictures of them. There was another couple looking something on the laptop. They looked like the DJ's of the party.

Quinn and Rachel came from the kitchen, the blonde sipping from a bottle of beer and the brunette pouring some tonic in her second glass of gin.

'There are more people than I expected' admitted Rachel looking at Santana trying to teach Puck some dance steps. 'Who are they?'

'The guy holding Tina is Mike, her boyfriend' started Quinn, who later pointed at the DJs 'Mike and Artie, the guy on the laptop go to the same dancing academy as Santana and Britt'

'Oh, so that girl is Britt' interrupted the brunette.

'No, that one is Sugar. Artie met her at a don't-remember-who's birthday party and became very close'

'So, who's Britt?' inquired Rachel. Quinn looked at her and started laughing and Rachel seemed confused.

'You're quite impatient, aren't you?' she smiled sweetly at the brunette 'Britt's my flatmate and Santana's girlfriend' Quinn said the last words a bit slower to see Rachel's reactions. The brunette sipped from her glass.

'But where is she?' asked after she swallowed the drink and Quinn burst out laughing 'What? What's so funny about everything I say?' Rachel was also laughing.

'Nothing, I just think it's cute' she was now smiling at her with that beam in her face that left Rachel with that feeling of being controlled by a force 'She got a job as a choreographer for a music video and they've been shooting in Philly. She'll be back tomorrow'

'Wow, that's pretty amazing!' said Rachel still in shock. Quinn nodded with agreement. 'So what about you?'

'Me? Well, I'm majoring in History and I work every weekend at a café for a living' answered 'Britt and I came together to New York after highschool'

'Oh, so you knew each other for quite a long time' Rachel smiled but this time with a hint of melancholy 'It must be awesome to have your best friend with you when you got to college.'

'It was really helpful, I must say. I wasn't having the time of my life when I finished highschool and if she wouldn't have been here with me I don't know what I'd have done.' She had that smile again and Rachel was happy that Britt and her were so close, though she didn't understood why that information made her happy 'And you? It's your turn. You missed someone in college, right?'

'That's right. My girl Mercedes went to UCLA and my Kurt, my Kurt flew to Paris to start a new life.'

'Paris? I'd love to go to Paris! Wow, that is a change of life! Quinn interrupted her and started rambling in a very cute way 'Sorry, I interrupted you' Rachel laughed and went on

'Don't worry' she said while still laughing 'Yeah, he's really loving it. So, as I was saying I stayed in Ohio and became a highschool literature teacher and the Glee club coach. Actually is the same highschool we studied at.' She looked embarrassed and stood up 'I'm gonna need another one. You want more beer?' she asked Quinn.

'No, I'm fine' she hesitated 'Actually, I don't usually drink'

'Yeah, she's like our momma. She stays sober and takes care of us' Santana came nearer and placed a kiss in Quinn's cheek 'Right, Momma Quinn?'

Rachel looked at Quinn's eyes and smiled tenderly 'I can bring other kind of drink if you prefer'

'Don't worry, I'll be fine'

Rachel walked towards the kitchen and Santana took a seat beside Quinn who was staring at a point in the table in front of her. She felt her friend's gaze and slowly turned her head to face her. Santana smirked and gave her an inquiring look. 'You like her' she stated among laughter. She was a bit drunk.

'Is it that obvious?' she paused herself and laughed 'Yes it is. And that means she's not into me. You know the 'gay girl hot for the straight one' story' she put the beer on the table and leant back on the coach. Puck was already sitting next to her.

'Come on Fabray, she's spent the whole night with you smiling like a fool and looking at you like she wants to bang you against the wall' Puck and Santana high-fived in agreement. They were all drunk, so Quinn rolled her eyes and shook her head in order not to raise false hopes.

She realized Rachel hadn't come back so she stood up and went straight to the kitchen. She saw her looking through the window sipping from the glass. She got closer as Rachel turned around to face Quinn, who looked concerned.

'Are you ok, Rachel?' she asked

'Yeah, I just needed some fresh air. I think the booze wasn't doing any good'

'That's why you have another drink' she answered smiling

'Actually, it's only lemon juice' Rachel laughed. Quinn lowered her head and laughed shyly

'What are you looking at?'

'Hmmm?' Rachel frowned not understanding

'I mean, through the window' Quinn clarified

'Oh, nothing in particular, just people wandering around, cars going up and down, the lights' she paused herself 'It's overwhelming'

'I felt the same when I first came to New York' stated Quinn, who was now next to Rachel, both of them looking through the window 'I felt so tiny, everywhere I looked there was something going on and I didn't want to miss any of it. It's so difficult to imagine that there are millions or people in here, millions of stories to be told' she pointed at the building in front of them 'That apartment, for instance, there could be people arguing, fighting, apologizing, finding love. Somebody fucking someone else's wife' Rachel laughed at the blonde's imagination 'Maybe, there's someone writing a story about people like us'

'And still we will never know' agreed Rachel

'It's like you can know the streets of New York by heart, but you will never get to know the city at all' Quinn continued. Rachel looked at her with surprise and warmth; she had always thought the same about New York and its mystery.

'Have you read my mind? That's exactly how I feel about this city!' she giggled and then both laughed.

Rachel offered her some lemon juice but Quinn declined politely. After a few minutes staring at the street, Rachel took a deep breath and a sip from the glass.

'Have you ever felt you've made the wrong decision?' she asked the blonde who turned her head to look at her and then lowered her face

'Yes' she was looking through the window again 'but I learned from it and I'm thankful for that' she smiled sweetly at Rachel showing her perfect teeth 'Whatever it is I wish you can learn from it and grow stronger'

Rachel gave her a big smile and leaned her head against Quinn's shoulder for a while. She then straightened up and suggested they went back to the living room. They headed for the door when Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist, placed the glass on the table and looked straight into her eyes.

'Maybe it's the wrong decision but if I don't do this I'll regret my whole life' Quinn said as she drew her face closer to Rachel's.

The brunette stepped back a bit making Quinn freeze. Rachel noticed the girl's tension and was scared she might have ruined the moment so she decided to squeeze and caressed Quinn's hand. The blonde bit her lips, held Rachel by the neck and kissed her. The touch of her lips was soft and tender. Rachel's doubt soon disappeared and became thirsty for more. Quinn held the brunette's face with both hands, sweetly caressing her cheeks as she placed eager kisses through her neck, reaching her ear lobe licking all the way up. Rachel found herself gasping and holding Quinn's body tighter. Rachel moved her head back and sought for Quinn's lips letting their tongues do the work.

They stopped to breathe and the blonde grabbed Rachel by the wrist and carried her out of the kitchen. Her room was very close to the kitchen but it felt like a million miles away. She followed Rachel in and shut the door pushing the girl against it. Rachel looked at her with pleading eyes and kissed her fiercely. She felt the force once again and she just wanted to let herself go. Quinn suddenly put her arms around her thighs, lifted her up and took her to the bed. Rachel giggled at the strength the blonde was showing and arrived at the bed still smiling 'You're a strong girl' she told the blonde.

'I think it was an adrenaline rush' Quinn answered with a shy smile. Rachel wrapped the blonde's neck with her arms as Quinn placed a soft peck on her nose and slowly went down to her lips. Quinn took her by the waist and run her fingers under her tee, gently caressing her stomach which was now heaving. The hazel-eyed girl lifted the t-shirt and pulled it off with the help of the brunette and did the same with her own blouse.

She stopped to stare at the brunette. The sight of her body was delightful but then she looked into her eyes and noticed a hint of doubt, or maybe fear or insecurity, she couldn't tell. She suddenly felt Rachel's hands clumsily touching her belly. She thought it might be the first time she did this with a girl, but didn't ask as she didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. So she got closer to her and Rachel placed her hands around the waist sinking her nails in her skin. Quinn smiled, their noses touching and her hands playing with her brown hair. She pulled her in and kissed her sweetly, licking her lips with the tip of her tongue sending chills to her spine. The brunette opened her mouth and sucked her tongue with desire and hunger, hearing Quinn's moans. She drew her closer and the blonde slithered her fingers down her back reaching the bra clasp, struggling to open it and take it off. She gaped at the sight of her naked torso. She lay her down on the bed carefully but with eagerness at the same time and started kissing open-mouthedly her belly going up to her breasts, sucking her nipples fiercely, feeling Rachel arching her back in pleasure. Quinn unzipped the brunette's jeans and pulled them off desperately while Rachel was also reaching out for her jeans to do the same. She stood up to achieve her goal but the blonde was already taking them off, so she pushed her back down and took her spot on top of her, placing a finger on Rachel's lips, tenderly caressing them. Afterwards, she ran it down her body until she reached the hem of her pants. Rachel was breathing heavily, holding back a gasp but failing the attempt when she felt Quinn's hand inside her underwear. She closed her eyes so she could feel her touch more intensely, her kisses all over her neck going down to her breast once more. Quinn begun tracing circles around her clit reaching her entrance which made Rachel shiver.

But suddenly, the blonde stopped the movements and leaned back. Rachel looked at her shocked. The blonde noticed her frustration and smirked naughtily. She slithered her fingers through the hem of the brunette's pants and slowly dragged them down.

'You won't need these' the blonde was still smirking and arched her eyebrow at the sight of Rachel licking her lips with lust in her eyes.

'You won't need them either' she could barely say that. Quinn proceeded to take her own pants off and throw them away. Quinn chased her lips and spread Rachel's legs open. She pushed her hips against Rachel's center making her gasp and wrap her with her legs. She pushed harder and the brunette thrust back craving for more. She had her nails stuck in Quinn's back like an eagle's paws stuck in its prey. Quinn ran her fingers through her side reaching her thigh and grabbing it in order to thrust harder and faster. Rachel mimicked her, nails still stuck in her back. The blonde placed her hand between the brunette's legs, her fingers tracing circles around her entrance to finally make their way into Rachel. She tilted her head back releasing a loud moan. Quinn's movements became more rhythmic and deeper and faster and Rachel lost herself completely.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was already up and shining, it lit up the room and rested on the sheets that covered the two girls. Quinn's back muscles formed shadows that gave her skin a touch of mystery and enchantment and her blonde hair fell untidily over her shoulders, it smelled like vanilla, like sweet and smooth vanilla. Rachel felt the urge to caress her skin but didn't want to wake her up. But then there was the force again, taking over her hand and placing it slowly on the blonde's back brushing carefully up and down her spine. Suddenly she felt the sleeping body stiffening. She stopped and stared at her muscles resting relaxed once again, she noticed her regular breath and sighed in relief. She decided she would put her arm around her waist and pretend she was asleep too.

After a couple of minutes Rachel felt something catch hold of her hand. It was the blonde's own hand that was pulling it closer to her mouth. Quinn kissed her knuckles softly.

'Good morning' she said and kissed them again with a smile on her face.

Rachel laughed into Quinn's nape and gently pecked it. 'Good morning, Quinn'

Quinn turned around to face the brunette, big smile now lighting up the room competing with the sunlight that was shining through the window. 'Did you sleep well?' the blonde asked cupping Rachel's cheek with her hand.

'Perfectly well' smiled the tiny girl, tilting her head so as to place a little kiss in the girl's palm. Quinn pulled her close and kissed her sweetly.

'Have you planned something for today?' Quinn inquired.

'Well, I was thinking that Central Park would be fine. Plus, the weather seems to agree with my decision'

'Great. What else? Oh, and do you want to have breakfast here or you prefer out?'

'Uhmm, maybe the 5th Avenue, Soho, TriBeCa and that area' she answered. 'And, actually, I would prefer breakfast out'

'I'm glad to hear that, 'cause I'm gonna take you to a place I love' Quinn was now straddling her thighs and intertwining their fingers. 'Wanna have a shower?'

'I have my clothes at my hotel, remember?' the tiny girl answered smiling at the blonde.

'Oh, crap. But I think I'm gonna have one if you don't mind waiting'

'Not at all. And I think I can stop by my hotel after lunch and have a shower and change' Rachel suggested

'Okay' Quinn agreed with a kiss and then she stood up to pick some clothes. 'Well I won't take long. If you want something, just serve yourself.'

Rachel nodded and picked up her own clothes to dress up. She headed for the living room buttoning up her jeans when she saw a blonde girl sitting in the dining table near the window eating some cereals and drinking what she guessed was coffee.

'Oh, hi' Rachel greeted the girl with surprise

'Hi! I'm Britt' the blonde girl responded with a big smile 'You must be Rachel' she stood up and held her hand for Rachel to shake.

Rachel shook it still surprised 'Yeah, how do you know?' she asked as she took a seat

'Santana told me they met you yesterday and I heard people talking in Quinn's room so I guessed it was you two' she shrugged at her logic 'Do you want something?'

'No thanks. We're having breakfast at some place she's gonna take me to'

'Aw. I think I know where she's taking you. You'll love it.' she smiled sweetly 'It was one of the first places we found out when we first came to New York. Now it's kind of like our special place' Rachel smiled at the thought of it. 'If someone made a TV show about us, first of all, that would be one of the main settings, you know, like MacLaren's or Central Perk. And second, that show would be a hit.' both girls burst out laughing. Rachel understood why she was Quinn's best friend and Santana's girlfriend, she was really sweet.

'Quinn told me you've been working on a music video. How was it?' Rachel was curious about Britt's work. The girl beamed and started explaining

'It was amazing! We had a lot of fun!' she laughs while speaking

'But who's the singer?' she inquired

'Well, he's not known yet. It is his debut single' she took her phone and started looking for something 'Look, these are the dancers. They were pretty cool. It was really awesome working with them' she moved closer to Rachel to show her the pictures on her phone. Rachel looked and listened attentively to her explanations 'This is the guy' he was wearing baggy clothes and a baseball cap, so she assumed he was a rapper.

'What are those things?' Rachel asked pointing at some kind of strips

'Oh, these are harnesses. In the video we fly and leap quite high and some of the choreography takes place up in the air. It's totally insane!' she chuckled and smiled again, she really enjoyed her job.

Quinn appeared through the door drying her hair with a towel and humming 'Britt! How's it going babe? I've missed you!' she beamed and the dancer jumped from her seat to give her a hug.

'Hey! I've missed you too, Q!' she let go of the girl and lead her to the table 'It was awesome! We were even dancing in the air! I was telling Rachel about it and showing her pics' she handed her the phone 'See' she turned to face Rachel and kept talking 'They have to edit it first but it will be soon on the web'

'You have to let me know when the video comes out, I really want to check it out' Rachel stated

'Sure!'

'Where's San? Didn't she sleep over?' Quinn asked

'No, she texted me and told me you had company' she smirked and raised her eyebrows 'so she went back home. I went first to her place to give her my sweet lady kisses and then I came to drop my stuff' Rachel chuckled and turned her eyes to Quinn who was also smiling.

'I can see you already know each other'

Both girls nodded and smiled at each other. Britt filled Quinn in on the conversation they were having while she washed her breakfast plates. She headed for the shower and waved both girls goodbye with a sweet and innocent smile in her face. Quinn and Rachel grabbed their bags and left the apartment.

The streets were full of people walking up and down, the hoot of the cars filled their ears and the sun shone brightly as they arrived at the café which was called Hydro Café. They joined the line and Quinn placed her arm around the brunette's waist 'What are you having?' she asked her.

'A very large cappuccino' Rachel answered dragging out the 'very'. She took a look around the place. There were shelves with books and board games, coaches and cushions were lying on the floor and big display windows let the light in, giving a cozy touch to the room.

'You should try the cheesecake. These are the best cheesecakes I've ever had in my life'

'Okay, but if I don't like it then I'll make you eat all of it' Rachel said pointing a threatening finger at her

'When you try it you will take that back and apologize for that blasphemy' she caught her finger and kissed it gently 'See that table by the window?' She asked her pointing at one corner of the café near a shelf. Rachel nodded 'Take it. And if someone gets in your way just show them your paws and teeth or there will be blood' she said with intimidating eyes while Rachel widened hers with surprise and a bit of fear. The blonde burst out laughing when she noticed the tiny girl's face 'I was kidding! But seriously, that's my favorite spot' she calmed her with a peck on the cheek and the brunette shook slowly her head and gave her a 'you're a lost cause' look.

She walked towards Quinn's favorite spot which had a small table and quite comfortable cushions. She took a look through the books on the shelf she had beside her. They were about music, painting, art... She grabbed one about movies and flicked through it. Quinn arrived holding a tray with two cups of coffee and two portions of cheesecake. She handed her the cup of cappuccino and the plate and sat down next to the brunette.

Rachel admitted it was the best cheesecake she had ever had and apologized for her blasphemy. They finished their food and Quinn lay down against the cushion motioning to Rachel to lie down between her arms. The brunette complied grabbing the book once again, her back resting on Quinn's front.

'Look what I found' she opened it and started turning the pages '100 movies you must see before you die' she recited the title 'I can proudly say I've seen a lot of them'

'Ok, let's play 'who've seen what' Quinn suggested 'Oh, Psycho, check. You?'

'Check' Did you see the skull in Norman's face at the end?' Rachel asked

'Yeah. Then people freaks out with the subliminal penis in Fight club' she chuckled and turned another page 'Oh, A Streetcar Named Desire. Check, you?'

'Aha…'

'Did you know they're gonna take the play on Broadway again?' the blonde asked

'Aha… Actually I…' she paused herself out of embarrassment 'I auditioned for the part of Blanche DuBois'

'Holy crap! Are you serious?' Quinn almost screamed.

'Yes, they told me they would call me but… I'm still waiting' she chuckled bitterly.

'Oh…' she could notice a hint of sadness in Rachel's eyes

'Don't worry. I'm used to low budget minor plays in Ohio and now auditioning for a Broadway part among hundreds of talented people is just… insane, I know. And, maybe I'm a bit tanned for Blanche. I just…' her eyes were locked in any placed in particular, lowering with each word. 'I'm also used to people turning me down because of my appearance…'

'What?' now Quinn was shocked by that statement 'You gotta be kidding me! Who the fuck would turn you down because of your appearance?' she was getting more and more indignant. Rachel looked at her and smiled softly but she still had that bitter smirk.

'Quinn, you don't have to worry about it…. I got a lot of that in higschool, people talking behind my back, telling me I should get a nose job or things like that. I always tried not to listen, so now I kind of handle it quite well'

'Rachel, you clearly didn't see your face while you were telling me this. It hurts you' Quinn held her face by her chin, looking straight into her eyes

'Ok, ok. It does hurt. But I don't wanna talk about it. Please' her eyes were pleading. Quinn nodded agreeing.

'But I love your nose' she whispered with a smirk. Rachel rolled her eyes and chuckled, more cheered up. Quinn wrapped the tiny girl in her arms and lay her back down to keep on flicking through the book.

'West Side Story! I loved it!' Quinn said excitedly

'Did you know I played Maria in highschool?'

'No way! Wow, you're a box of surprises! And how was it?' Quinn was beaming and looking really excited about the idea.

'It was incredible! We did a great job I must say. Most of us were in glee club but some students joined as extras' her eyes were bright and joyful, big smile lighting up her face. Quinn noticed how happy she was and couldn't help but smile foolishly 'and people seemed to love it, they stood up applauding. Believe me, West Side Story is one of my absolutely favorite musical ever, you can't imagine how excited I was to play Maria'

'And you are absolutely cute when you ramble' Quinn sweetly kissed her cheek 'And I absolutely want to hear you sing' she suddenly came up with an idea 'You can sing with us in the metro! Yes, that would be amazing!'

'I don't know, it's been a while since…' she paused herself looking at the pleading puppy gaze Quinn was giving her 'Oh crap, who am I lying? I'm willing to!' both girls burst out laughing 'But I get to choose the song' Rachel pointed at her.

'Deal' she kissed her sweetly and gently 'I can't wait'

When they finished their breakfast they left the café and headed for Central Park. There were people jogging, playing with their pets, families taking a walk and buying candies to their children. They walked down a path that led to a lake while Rachel stopped to take some photos. As they approached the lake they decided to sit down and enjoy the sight. Rachel lay down resting her head on her arms and Quinn sat beside her with her legs folded, placing her hand on the brunette's belly and tracing doodles with her fingers.

'This is so peaceful and soothing' the brunette stated with a relaxed sigh. She looked at the blonde and took her hand still tracing lines in her belly 'How come you chose History?'

'Random question, uh?' she chuckled 'I had a pretty good History teacher in highschool and I really enjoy classic novels written in the middle of a turbulent period of time' she made a gesture with her hands to fit her words 'But I guess it begun when I was a child and my parents used to take me to museums and my father would explain everything we saw' she smirked bitterly.

'It's incredible how people can influence you in so many ways. It can be your own family or maybe just a stranger who says the right thing and, _bam,_ they shatter all your world' she stood up and looked straight into those charming hazel eyes 'When I'm at class and we are discussing some novel most of the kids won't even listen, but then someone comes to you and start telling you their own opinions about it and you see them so excited and really enjoying your teachings…' she was now gazing at nowhere in particular, lost in her thoughts 'It's so comforting to believe that you are changing their lives in ways they wouldn't imagine'

Quinn was delighted by that confession and gave her a tender smile biting her lower lip. She laid her head over the brunette's legs and the tiny girl started stroking her hair.

'And why did you become a literature teacher? You're young, you must have done well in college'

'I did' she chuckled 'I wanted to finish it as soon as I could. But being a teacher was actually my second option' Quinn frowned

'What was your first one?' she inquired

'Kurt and I applied for NYADA but we didn't get it because we were suspended for rigging the polls for senior class president and they put it on our permanent records, so…'

'Why did you do that?'

'NYADA is one of the most demanding drama colleges and you need a really impressive résumé. I was involved in several extracurricular activities and also got the main role in the West Side Story musical, but Kurt didn't so he ran for president.'

'Wow' Quinn raised her eyebrow and then frowned with curiosity 'Didn't you apply for other drama colleges?' she asked.

'Well…' Rachel took a deep breath 'I was going to, but my ex-boyfriend stayed in Lima working at his stepfather's tire shop and I just made a not very smart decision. So I stayed too and studied Literature and Education' she looked down at Quinn but then took her gaze away with a bit of embarrassment 'A part of me felt guilty and kind of terrified by how things turned out so I thought that the best solution was to take as many subjects as I could' she chuckled bitterly while Quinn listened carefully 'When I graduated I heard that teachers were needed in my highschool so… you know the rest' Quinn stood up to sit in front of her 'And of course I broke up with Finn, my ex-boyfriend. He was a good guy but he was really selfish and things between us just didn't work'

'And you also decided to take part in some plays in Ohio' it was a statement instead of a question.

'Yes. I started in college where we had some drama classes and then I kept doing it outside college. It's always good to have something to add to your professional résumé. And I really enjoy it.'

The conversation soon changed its topic as lunch time was getting closer. They bought some sandwiches and headed for Rachel's hotel so the brunette could have a shower and change her clothes. New York was still waiting for her to discover it.

They visited Chinatown and Soho where they stopped to have dinner. Quinn took her to a Japanese restaurant she liked. They sat by a window and ordered some sushi and tempura. They had a toast for the brunette's vacation.

'I was so excited when I bought the tickets and I knew for sure I was going to come back' Rachel stated

'Come back? So you've been in New York before?'

'Yeah, with the glee club for Nationals' she picked a piece of sushi and ate it 'But we couldn't sightsee 'cause we only had money to stay a night and Mr. Schue was so strict about not wasting time and practice'

'Did you guys win?'

'You're talking to a Show Choir Competition winner' she raised her eyebrows and smirked before sipping from her glass.

Quinn widened her eyes and laughed 'Wow' she took a bow and smiled 'I kneel before you my queen'

'I prefer Her Majesty, but it's ok' the brunette replied smugly and both girls laughed.

Quinn looked at her with amusement and took a piece of sushi from her plate making her groan jokingly.

'How did you meet them? Well, I know you and Britt know each other from highschool. But how did you meet the rest of them?'

'Uhmm, let's see' Quinn cleaned her mouth with the napkin 'As I already told you, Britt, San, Mike and Artie go to the same dance academy. I met them through her. Tina is in my college, we have some lectures and workshops together and we had to team up for one of them. Puck works with me at the café, he also works on weekends'

'Is he studying too?' Rachel interrupted and saw Quinn smirking 'Sorry' she pretended to zip her mouth close.

'No, please, never stop doing that' she laughed and bit her lip 'And yes, he's studying Architecture. So one day, Britt and I decided to throw a post-midterms party and invite them all'

'Oh, I see that parties at your place are quite common' Rachel joked. Quinn nodded while she sipped from her coke

'That party was kind of crazy. It went from awkward to hilarious… Even Britt and I had an argument!'

'Really?' Rachel was shocked 'What happened?'

'At the party, Santana and I connected really quickly. But It's not what you're thinking' she smiled 'I didn't know Britt liked Santana by that time. Santana was a bit drunk and she confessed me she liked Brit a lot so I tried to help her figure out if she was reciprocated'

'Oh, and Britt thought you were trying to hook up with her'

'Exactly. She went to her room for a while and I ran after her to get her to dance with San and that's when she started yelling at me and I didn't understand why she was angry. She accused me of flirting with her and when I realized what was happening I started laughing and she got even more annoyed. Then I explained to her that I was only trying to help Santana and I swear to god I will never forget how her face transformed!' she laughed at the thought of it 'She started bouncing with joy and she got out of the room and spent the rest of the night with her fooling around and dancing. That was the first time Santana slept over' she smiled at Rachel.

'Awe, that's so cute' she replied smiling.

'Actually, Puck also slept over. He even tried to hook up with me but then I told him I'm a lesbian so he backed off'

'Poor Puck' the brunette smirked

'Puck tries to hook up with anything that moves' Quinn chuckled 'But it was so much fun because we ended up talking about everything and that night I knew that he was going to be one of my best friends'

Rachel smiled in understanding. They kept on eating their dinner and chatting throughout the evening. The lights outside the restaurant turned on welcoming the night, wrapping the streets with their life.


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel opened her eyes as her sleeping cycle decided that it should stop at the awakening phase. She noticed a warm breath behind her neck and smiled at the thought of whose air it was. She turned around to face the blonde. She was still sleeping. They were at her hotel room. She caressed her cheek softly with her fingers and placed a peck on her nose and kissed her lips slowly to realize that Quinn started kissing back.

'I'm not sure if I wake you up or if you just pretend to sleep' the brunette said smiling.

'I'd rather keep it as part of the mystery' Quinn replied with a smirk holding her hand and gently kissing her knuckles. Rachel straddled her with a quick maneuver which surprised the blonde.

The brunette grabbed her firmly by her wrists 'You like to play, uh?' she started kissing her neck up and down. She reached her earlobe and sucked it passionately 'I like to play too' she whispered playfully.

Quinn released a light moan when she felt the brunette's tongue behind her earlobe and the moan increased its intensity when she felt Rachel grinding her. Rachel grabbed hold of the blonde's wrists with one hand in order to run the other one through her chest. She stroked her breast and focused on her nipple which made the blonde arch her back. Her free hand went down while she sucked on her pulse point and her collarbone. As Rachel run her fingers down she could feel the wetness between the blonde's legs and couldn't help but bite her lips in pleasure. Quinn started thrusting and rocking her hips as Rachel's fingers rubbed her folds and traced circles around her clit, her cheeks were blushed and burning as the brunette made her way into her. Their movements were starting to get faster and Quinn's moans soon became loud groans when she reached her climax.

Rachel released her wrists and remained sitting upon the blonde, who was struggling to gain some air and smiling at the same time. She lifted herself up to face Rachel and kissed her. She suddenly slipped her hand down in between the brunette's legs and started stroking her clit and her entrance 'Now it's my time to play' she whispered in her ear as she let one finger in 'Ride it' Rachel gasped and blindly complied.

'One more' she whispered in her mouth.

'Sorry, what did you say?' the blonde responded playfully, thrusting her finger deeper. Rachel tilted her head back and started begging.

'Please. One… more' she could barely whisper.

'Good girl' Quinn smirked and fulfilled the brunette's wish. Rachel groaned as she didn't feel two fingers but three. Her insides were clenching as she felt the blonde thrusting faster and deeper and moments later an intense electric pulse crossed her body from head to toes.

Both of them lay back down gasping for air and Rachel rolled aside so as not to smother her. She turned to look at her with a big smile on her face.

'Wow' she chuckled 'I never thought that sex with a girl would be this pleasurable' she was still out of breath. Quinn frowned in surprise.

'So it's your first time with a girl?'

'Oh. Confession time I guess' she chuckled 'Yes, you are the first girl I've ever slept with' she looked straight into her eyes and the blonde smiled sweetly.

'I must confess you had me confused. At first I thought it was your first time, because you looked so shy and new to it and also you told me about your ex-boyfriend' she paused herself 'But after last night and… right now… I wasn't sure what to think' she laughed.

'I'm more confident when I feel comfortable and safe' she smiled and softly caressed the blonde's lips with her thumb. Quinn rested her head on her belly, under her breasts. 'I guess you are more experienced, right?' Quinn nodded 'Tell me about it' the brunette asked her tenderly stroking her hair

'I had a girlfriend when I was in highschool. We started dating before I met Britt. She was my first love' she chuckled 'And after that a couple of girls I dated for a little while, but nothing really important'

'What's her name? What happened?' Quinn laughed and lifted her head to look at her

'You're so cute when you start asking a lot of questions at a time' she beamed looking warmly into her eyes

'But you have to answer them!' Rachel pouted and Quinn burst out laughing.

'Her name's Carla and we were together until a couple of months before the end of my freshman year at college. She stayed in Boston and I moved here'

'So you're from Boston?'

'Yeah. And you know, distance is not the best for a relationship. When we visited each other we just realized it wasn't like before. We didn't feel the same but we tried to make it work and we forced ourselves into something that we were no longer comfortable with… So it finally wore us out'

'It must have been so hard for you two. She was your first love after all…' Rachel caressed her cheek and gave her an understanding smile.

'It was. But we managed to be friends. Well, kind of. If we bump into each other in the streets we can have a talk about our lives and it wouldn't be awkward. But yes, I was a bit pissed off at that time and the break-up just didn't help'

Rachel wrapped her arm around her and hugged her tenderly 'Can I ask you what happened?' Quinn sighed and held her tighter.

'Just family issues…' she paused herself for a while. Rachel thought she wouldn't say anything else but Quinn continued 'When we were dating for a couple of months I came out to my parents and my father didn't like it very much. Things at home weren't very easy afterwards'

'Quinn, I'm sorry…I didn't know'

'Don't worry Rach' she chuckled to make her feel less awkward 'These things happen. But imagine you have problems at home because of your girlfriend and then it turns out to be a failure when you start college. It's really fucked up' she laughed and moved up to rest beside her.

'I can imagine' Rachel laughed 'But it's not your fault. Who could have foreseen it?' Quinn nodded and kissed her.

'Where do you wanna go today?' the blonde changed the topic.

'Can we go to the Liberty Statue? I know it's so typical and touristic but…' she bit her lower lip and smiled when the blonde accepted.

One of the things both girls enjoyed the most was the ferry. The fresh air caressed their skin and messed their hair and the warmth of the sun along with the breathtaking views of the city that never sleeps made it one of the most exciting experiences Rachel ever had.

'Kurt would love this' Rachel exclaimed.

Quinn placed herself behind Rachel and held her by the waist resting her face on her shoulder.

'Why did he left to Paris?' the blonde asked her

'He wanted a new life. We were really frustrated with the news about NYADA and he dumped his boyfriend because he cheated on him. Believe me, he was so pissed off.'

'Damn…'

'One night, Mercedes and I went with him to a gay club to let off some steam and you know, when you have a drink in your hand and a few more inside your stomach you think you can save the world' both of them laughed at that truth 'And Kurt came up with the idea that he had to go away. He didn't know where, he just knew he had to leave Lima'

'And why Paris?' the blonde inquired

'He was very good at French. I think that came from somewhere. When he told us that he had a ticket for Paris and that he already had looked for accommodation and a job we couldn't believe it, but we just thought it was meant for him' she paused herself 'I don't know, it kind of made sense'

'I know what you mean' Quinn replied understanding

'He's now living with his boyfriend Émeric. This year he got into a music school'

'That sounds amazing' Quinn replied

'I'm so happy for him' the brunette smiled happily and tilted her head back to rest it against Quinn's front

'You know what? When I first told you about Britt and Santana I was kind of worried about your reaction. I didn't know if you had anything against gay people' the blonde chuckled at the thought of it 'And turns out that your best friend's gay and that you enjoy the Sapphic charms' both girls laughed

'It also turns out that I have two dads' Quinn gaped at the statement 'It would be awkward to be a homophobe in my household. Can you imagine? Dad, daddy I hate gays' she started giggling while she noticed the blonde's surprise

'Wow, I didn't see that coming. So you're adopted?'

'Yeah, that's basically the procedure' she answered mockingly

'Do you know your mother?' Quinn asked carefully

'I do' Rachel replied gently stroking the blonde's arm which was wrapping her waist 'It was by accident, actually. I found a tape in a box where my dads keep my baby stuff. I hadn't seen it before so I played it and then I realized that she was the coach of another glee club. So I went to their rehearsals and told her I found out'

'What happened then?'

'She was glad I found out. I had the feeling that she would reject me but she explained to me that she couldn't contact me until I was 18 unless I wanted to'

'How is she? I'm curious' the blonde giggled and Rachel laughed at the sweetness of her tone

'She's so nice and sweet' she turned around to face Quinn 'She even told me she gave my dads some cd's from Broadway musicals so that I could grow up with the voices of Barbra or LuPone. And, you know, my dads also love musicals so I was always surrounded by music'

Quinn kissed her sweetly resting her forehead against Rachel's as they landed in Liberty Island. They walked slowly towards the statue due to Rachel's astonishment. Quinn took her hand nonchalantly and pretended she didn't notice Rachel's surprised gaze. The brunette smiled and kept admiring the immensity of the monument and the views she could see from the island. She thought about how much Kurt would love New York and how she wanted to go visit Mercedes. She missed their dinners at Breadstix, their sleepovers at her dads' house back in Lima. But since they graduated and went separate ways it didn't feel like home without them. The touch of Quinn's skin in her palm made her hope for that feeling again. But she hated feeling home in a city she couldn't stay and with a person she had to let behind as soon as she went back to Lima.

'You don't look as excited as I expected' Quinn faced her and frowned 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah…' she hesitated 'It's just that… it's so sad I have to leave in a couple of days…'

'When…' the blonde swallowed before making the question 'When are you leaving?'

'Next Sunday afternoon' Quinn nodded and both of them remained silent for a while before drawing their attention once again to the outstanding views of the city.

After they finished their visit and headed for a place to have lunch, they wandered around the streets, stopping at the shop windows and anything Rachel found interesting.

Quinn suggested they go to a music bar where a band she usually listened to played that evening. Quinn told her the rest of the guys would join them there. So they headed for the bar.

They took an empty booth near the stage and ordered some drinks. Rachel could read the name of the band in some posters on the walls, they were a three member band called Naked Bones.

'They make acoustic and very stripped down covers. Imagine an electronic or dance song with just a guitar, a piano and the drums' Quinn explained

'I fell in love with them when they sang a David Guetta song and sounded totally different from the original. Never have I thought I would like a song by him' Puck stated with excitement.

The music started and people lowered their voices to listen to it. They begun with more known songs and some people were clapping and singing along. They were pretty good. Another song begun and Rachel didn't recognize it at first but was suddenly surprised when she realized it was a jazz version of 'Heavy Metal Lover' by Lady Gaga. She gaped at the discovery.

Quinn looked at her smiling and she could notice she was too immersed in the show to pay attention to them, so she held her hand and Rachel unconsciously held it tight 'You like them?' she asked her

'I love them!' she turned to face her beaming in excitement 'Puck, you were right!'

'I told you so!' he laughed 'By the way, Quinn has told us that you're gonna sing with us in the metro, is that true?'

'Yeah! I couldn't resist the offer' she laughed 'Will you join me with the music?'

'Of course' Santana replied 'But Tina and Mike are on a trip together so we won't have the keyboards'

'It's okay' Rachel said 'I told Quinn that maybe with the guitar and her xylophone will be fine'

'But I don't want to take an eye off of you. So, sorry, but I'll sit and listen' Quinn stated kissing her on the cheek

'I can play it' Britt offered.

They made a toast to celebrate Rachel's first performance and kept on enjoying the show for the rest of the evening.


	5. Chapter 5

'Are you nervous?' Quinn asked the brunette while they were waiting for the metro to come.

'Nah' she clenched her nose and smiled 'I do this every day. Just tell me if I was brilliant or simply outstanding' she smirked as she saw the look on Quinn's face and her eyebrow raised in surprise.

The metro arrived and the whole group got on the train and took different spots. After the metro bell rang to announce its departure, Puck and Britt prepared their instruments and made a sign to Rachel to let her know they were ready. Santana stood beside Quinn grasping the railing. Rachel placed herself in the other side of the car.

Britt started hitting the bars of the toy xylophone and seconds later, Puck played his chords on the guitar. People turned their faces to both of them, frowning with surprise and smirking shyly. Quinn gave Rachel a look and an impatient smile. She didn't know which song she had chosen as the brunette wanted to surprise her and she didn't recognize the music.

_Don't tell me not to leave,_

_Just sit and putter._

_Life's a candy and the sun's a ball of butter._

_Don't bring around the clouds to rain on my parade._

Quinn's eyes opened widely and her jaw fell slowly. Santana looked at her with the same surprise face.

_Don't tell me not to fly,_

_I've simply got to._

_If someone takes a spill,_

_It's me and not you._

_Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade?_

Puck raised his eyebrow and smiled at what they were listening to. None of them had imagined she had that voice. They kept on enjoying while Rachel continued with her song

_I guess I didn't make it_

_But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection_

_A freckle on the nose of life's complexion,_

Rachel jumped on an empty seat and directed her voice to the passengers in front of her who were looking at her with astonishment.

_The Cinderella or the shine apple of its eye_

_I gotta fly once, I gotta try once._

_Only can die once, right sir?_

She jumped off the seat and leaned to an old man and smiled at him. He nodded politely and smiled back. She walked towards Quinn and Santana while singing.

_Oh, life is juicy, juicy, and you see _

_I gotta have my bite, sir_

_Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a 'comer'_

She placed her finger on the blonde's chest and gave her a wink. Quinn couldn't close her mouth but managed to give her a big smile.

_I simply gotta march_

_My heart's a drummer._

_Don't bring around the cloud to rain on my parade. _

Rachel grabbed the railing above her head and walked through the aisle swinging and lifting herself with the help of the bars. Some passengers whispered to each other and pointed at the brunette while others just stared at her in amazement.

_Eye on the target and wham_

_One shot, one gun shot and bam!_

_Hey, Mr. Arnstein,_

_Here I am…_

Puck suddenly stopped playing while his mouth fell open and Britt had also stopped a while ago, but she shook her head and tapped him with the mallet to remind him that the song wasn't over yet. Quinn grabbed hold of Santana's arm so tightly she made her give the blonde a nudge. When Santana turned to face Quinn she realized she was too immersed to notice.

_Get ready for me life, 'cause I'm a 'comer'_

_I simply gotta march, my hear's a drummer_

Rachel walked towards the middle of the car stretching out her arms, her voice invading every corner

_Nobody, no, nobody is gonna rain on my parade!_

Quinn felt a tear rolling down her cheek and Santana's arm wrapping her soothingly. People started applauding and cheering. Rachel opened her eyes, gasped for air, her chest heaving and beamed in a way the blonde had never seen before. Moments later the car arrived at the station and the brunette took the last leaflets and threw them all over the car, the rest of them got out of their astonishment and did the same before hopping off the car.

'Holy mother of god!' Santana yelled 'What the hell was that?' Rachel smiled shyly but proud at the same time feeling the other brunette's hug

'Where do you hide that huge voice within that tiny body?' Puck hi fived her and laughed and Britt hugged her tightly

'That was totally amazing!' the blue-eyed girl exclaimed

Quinn remained behind, still amazed by what she just experienced moments before. The brunette got near her and looked straight into her eyes; her cheeks blushed when she saw tearful hazel eyes. The blonde held her sweetly

'You were brilliant' she giggled 'and outstanding' she tilted her head back to face brown eyes, which were looking at her with concern

'Are you crying?' Rachel asked as she saw tears striving to roll down. The blonde chuckled while she wiped off her eyes

'Sorry…' she cupped Rachel's cheeks 'It's just that you left me speechless' she whispered 'God…' she sniffled resting her forehead against Rachel's. The tiny girl laughed and kissed her softly.

They went out to get something for lunch. Singing in the metro always left them starving.

The afternoon was warm and enchanting, so once they finished lunch, Quinn and Rachel went for a walk heading for the Brooklyn bridge so that the brunette could see the views of Manhattan.

They bought some ice-creams and took a seat in a bench near the bridge.

'I've never tried a vegan ice-cream before' Quinn admitted hinting at wanting some of it. The brunette handed her the ice-cream cone so that Quinn could try it. The hazel-eyed girl licked it from below and sucked when her mouth reached the top of the scoop. Rachel gaped and licked her lips

'That… was so hot' she barely whispered. Quinn blushed and looked up after she had swallowed the ice-cream.

'You didn't want me to try the ice-cream!' she slapped her on the arm 'You wanted me to turn you on by licking it!'

'I didn't know you were gonna do that!' she laughed

'Pervert' the blonde stated while she teasingly licked the scoop.

When they finished their ice-creams they stayed in the bench, relaxed by the gentle breeze that stroke their skins. Rachel rested her head against Quinn shoulder and the blonde wrapped her with her arms.

'Will you sing for me any time?' the blonde asked

'Whenever you want'

'Yay!' she made a victorious gesture with her fist and the brunette lifted her head to looked at her and laughed

'You have no solution' she said and Quinn tilted her head forward to kiss her softly

'You should really audition for a musical'

Rachel frowned and slowly shook her head, taking her gaze away. Her head was now ducked down and she stiffened a bit.

'I don't…' she paused herself 'I don't think it would be a good idea'

'Rachel…' Quinn whispered with concern in her voice 'Why is that? You're amazing, you blew every-'

'Quinn, stop it' the brunette was raising her voice 'you wouldn't understand' she lowered her pitch

'Of course I wouldn't understand if you don't explain yourself!' she chuckled nervously

'I missed my chance, Quinn!' she turned her head and faced the blonde 'I was so stupid and idiot and irresponsible I let myself get caught in a relationship that took me nowhere and made me forget about my dreams!' she paused to grasp for air as she felt her tears were rolling down her cheeks 'I could be studying in NYADA, being trained by the best musical and drama teachers in the US but I was so fucking stupid that now I'm stuck in the same fucking town I always wanted to leave, teaching at the same fucking highschool where I was bullied and witnessing how my life goes away' she was yelling and sobbing uncontrollably 'I can't even get a callback from a play… I can't even finish my audition' Quinn wrapped her in her arms, gently stroking her hair.

The blonde tightened her grasp but Rachel pulled away and tried to wipe her tears, which were still falling down

'You don't know how it feels to make the wrong choice, to loath yourself for that'

'What?' the blonde sounded hurt and shocked

'You are lucky, Quinn. You are doing what you want to do, you're living the life you wan-'

'No, now you stop it, Rachel!' her words came out harshly. Quinn noticed the shock in the brunette's face and shook her head apologetically, cupping her cheek with her hand and resting her forehead against Rachel's 'I'm sorry, that was rude of me'

Quinn caressed her cheek and pecked her on the fore head until she calmed herself a little

'Look, Rachel' she started 'I do know how it feels like, I know how it is to loath yourself for your mistakes' she now took her hands reassuringly 'Remember when I told you that my father wasn't okay with me being gay?' the tiny girl nodded 'Well, he actually tried to throw me out of the house' Rachel gaped shocked by the information 'He was so mad, he started yelling at me and telling me I was a disappointment and that he was ashamed of calling me his daughter' Quinn sighed and the brunette's expression changed from shock to concern 'My mother stood up against him to defend me and they started arguing and yelling at each other. My father threatened us to kick us out. He was out of his mind and I was starting to panic. My mom took me by the hand and grabbed the keys of her car and we left the house'

'For good?' Rachel asked still concerned. Quinn nodded.

'We went to my aunt's. We stayed there for' she stopped to think 'more than half a year I think. That happened in the middle of senior year, more or less, and we moved to a new house at the beginning of my second senior year'

'Second senior year?' the brunette was confused

'I told my mother I wanted to retake senior year because I had missed a lot of classes, you know, the divorce and the moving was so stressful and I wasn't at my best, I could barely focus on highschool and I felt so guilty for everything that we were going through'

'Quinn… I'm so sorry' she choked 'I didn't know you've been through all of this'

'Don't worry, Rach, now everything's alright. Everything's better now' she removed a locked from Rachel's face 'We didn't have enough money to pay a lawyer for the divorce as it was my father the one who worked. It was my aunt who lent us the money. My mother started looking for a job but she couldn't find anything and my father wanted to have my custody'

'You gotta be kidding me' Quinn laughed at the spontaneity of the brunette

'No, I'm serious. He just wanted to mess things up even more. But we could prove that he wanted to throw me out so he couldn't get away with it. I also looked for a job to help my mother and to pay my aunt for the temporary accommodation. We were desperate. My mom was desperate' she emphasized that sentence 'Sometimes I overheard her crying and talking to my aunt about what she could do… I realized that the light in her eyes wasn't there anymore. I felt so, so fucking guilty about it, I believed it was all my fault, for being so selfish. I thought that if I hadn't come out none of that would have happened. I felt I had ruined my mom's life…' she sighed

'Quinn… that's not true…'

'I know, but that time I hated myself so much I couldn't see straight and I didn't think I could get out of that black hole. Carla tried to cheer me up but it just didn't work for me. But she was so patient and I knew she was there, but I wasn't ready myself. Luckily, that summer my mom got a job as a waitress in a restaurant and she could safe some money. I started junior year once again and met Britt'

'So you didn't know each other until that year?' Rachel asked

'Exactly. Well, I knew her from the Cheerios team but she is a year younger so we didn't have classes together until that moment'

'Wait a second. You were a cheerleader?' the brunette asked in shock

'Captain cheerleader, indeed' she replied smugly

'No way!' both girls laughed 'I can't picture you in a cheerleader uniform

'I was really sexy in it' she raised her eyebrow and smirked and Rachel giggled 'I had to quit because of everything that happened. Anyways, Britt and I were together in some class groups so we became friends. She would make me laugh, and she made my mom laugh too, as in a real laugh' she giggled 'I remember one day she came to my aunt's to give me some books and she thought my mom and my aunt were together and I was their daughter' Rachel burst out laughing 'when she realized that she was my aunt she told my mother in such an innocent way that my mother burst out laughing. Just like you did' she tapped her nose with her finger 'Then I confessed her that the lesbian one was me and she told me 'Oh you're a unicorn! I'm a bicorn!' and I just couldn't stopped laughing. I knew I could trust her so I told her everything that happened with my father. And that's why we became so close. We finally found a house and moved there. Everything got better. But I still felt hatred, this time I hated my father for exactly the same reasons I hated myself. It's like I had hatred inside of me and it needed to show up in any way and by any means. At the end of the junior year, my father tried to contact us again and I was so frustrated and angry at him that one day I had a big outburst. Britt slapped me, that caugh me off-guard I must say, and held me by the arms and she told me something that really touched me'

'What was it?' Rachel asked and Quinn giggled at her well-known habit. The brunette rolled her eyes

'She asked me 'why do you hate?' and I answered that I hated him for ruining our lives, but then she told me 'no, I mean, what's the point in hating? It is killing you, it only consumes you, it's eating you alive. You're more focused on hating him that living your life. If you have a fire and somebody puts wood over it and other person pours water, what happens?'

She made a gesture to let Rachel answer

'It goes out?' she replied hesitating

'That's right. And what happens if both put wood over it?'

'It stokes up' Quinn nodded

'She told me 'right now you're putting wood and the fire is burning you' and then she hugged me and apologized for the slap, which I had already forgotten. That kept me thinking a lot and that day forward I started seeing things differently. I realized that we were better without him, that my mom had her smile and her bright eyes back. And what I want to tell with this story is that, sometimes you hate yourself for this kind of things, but if you blame yourself or begin hating yourself or others it will narrow your perspective and won't let you appreciate and cherish all the beautiful things that surround you. You made a wrong decision once, Rachel, but you still have a chance. Look at you!, you're here in New York. You made a whole metro car applaud you! You still think you can't do it? You think that just because you made a bad decision all doors are closed and there's no more opportunities? The only thing you can't change is death, and I think you're pretty alive' she giggled and looked straight into brown eyes, which were full of gratitude. Rachel rested her head in Quinn's chest 'You can't change your past, but you can let go and start your future'

Rachel held her tighter and sighed. She suddenly felt as if she no longer had that heavy load over her shoulders.

'Thank you, Quinn' she lifted her head and looked into her beautiful hazel eyes 'This meant a lot to me. Thank you, really'

Quinn smiled sweetly and gave her a soft kiss in her forehead pulling her into her arms. They remain in comfortable silence for a while, feeling the water putting out the fire.


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel managed to open her eyes as the sun that came in through the window blinded her. It took her a couple of minutes to get used to the light. She felt Quinn's arm around her torso and her head buried in her neck, her breath warming her skin. She caressed her forearm and gently pecked her shoulder.

'Quinn…' she whispered 'Quinn…'

The blonde groaned and switched her position so as to bury her face deeper into the brunette's neck.

'Are you awake?' she asked in a whisper

'No…' the blonde murmured. Rachel giggled

'So you're speaking in dreams?'

'Yes…'

'And what are you dreaming of?' she asked her playfully

'That you are a pillow and I sleep' she replied in a childish tone.

Rachel laughed and kissed her shoulder once again. She stroked her arm gently, tracing doodles on her skin for a while.

'C'mon, get up sleepy girl. It's my last day'

'That's not true!' the blonde suddenly lifted her head 'You told me you were leaving tomorrow in the afternoon!' she sounded concerned

'I know!' she giggled 'but tomorrow morning I will be packing my bags. Technically this is my last day, so I don't wanna waste my time'

'I didn't think sleeping with me was a waste of time' she said that bitterly while she was getting out of bed

'I didn't mean…' Rachel paused herself and looked at her in surprise

The blonde bit her lip and kneeled on the bed in front of Rachel. She took her hand and kissed her knuckles

'Okay, let's go. Where do you wanna go today?' she asked her sweetly. The brunette smiled and rested her forehead on Quinn's

'I feel like going to Central Park again'

'You totally love it, don't you?' the blonde laughed and Rachel laughed along and nodded

They got dressed and headed for the kitchen afterwards. Brittany and Santana were having breakfast and flicking through a magazine.

'Hey, girls!' Quinn greeted them with a big smile. Britt waved her hand in response as she was drinking her coffee

'Morning Q, morning Streisand' she said playfully

'Morning ladies!' she laughed

'What are you doing today, girls?' Britt asked them

'We're going to Central Park and then… whatever may come' the brunette answered

'We can go for a picnic if you want.' Quinn suggested

'Yes! Awesome idea! C'mon, I'll help you with the meal' she replied joyfully.

They made some sandwiches, a salad and grabbed some fruit, drinks and a thin blanket and put it in a bag.

It was a sunny and warm day in New York. Rachel felt radiantly and time after time she hopped while walking ahead of Quinn, who looked at her delighted and beaming.

They settled themselves in the shade of a huge tree in front of a lake. They spread the blanket on the grass and took the meals out of the bag.

'What's the dressing?' Rachel asked while chewing some salad 'It tastes delicious'

'Thank you' the blonde replied 'It's honey. My secret ingredient… for everything, actually' she giggled

'Everything?'

'Sure. You run out salad dressing? Put some honey! You run out of sauce? Put some honey! You run out of vegetables? Put some honey!' Rachel burst out laughing

'You dork!' she threw a paper napkin ball at Quinn and the blonde pretended she was shot dead.

Both girls finished their food and then lay down to have some post-lunch rest. The light of the sun was filtered by the leaves of the tree so that it spotted their bodies.

'Why don't you pack your bags this afternoon so tomorrow you can relax in the morning?' Quinn suggested

'It could be' she stopped to think for a while 'Yeah, it will be better. Will you help me?'

'Sure' the blonde replied nonchalantly

'But let me first get some…' she suddenly paused herself and stood up in a quick move 'Holy shit!'

'What's wrong?' Quinn asked worried

'We haven't been to Tifanny's yet! How can I leave New York if I haven't been there in front of that mythical window glass?' the brunette was theatrically holding her head with her hands and Quinn was laughing hysterically

'Easy, girl' she was still laughing 'We can go tomorrow morning. It will be the perfect goodbye'

Rachel had a huge smile in her face and she leaned towards the blonde to kiss her out of excitement

'I can tell you've seen the movie, right?' the blonde stated

'Of course! Have you read the book?'

'Let me tell you something, my dear Rachel' she started looking for something on the floor to finally pick up a leaf 'Imagine this leaf is my heart. So here's where I keep music' she traced a circle on the leaf 'Here's where I keep friends and family and here's where I keep literature.' She traced another circle, completing the leaf 'And if you look closely, you will see that here, there's a place for Capote' she giggled and then looked at Rachel who had her head ducked down smiling

Rachel felt kind of hurt by not having a place in the blonde's heart. Not only the fact of not being part of Quinn's life, but also the fact that the other girl had made herself clear without a doubt. But she felt she couldn't lie to herself as she knew she was just a stranger she just met a couple of days before.

Quinn noticed the concern in Rachel's eyes and started worrying she might have said something inappropriate.

'Here. For you' the blonde handed her the leaf.

The brunette took the leaf and smiled but there was sadness behind that smile as it was her last day in New York and she would be gone and won't see the hazel-eyed girl again. Rachel felt the urge to change topic but couldn't come up with a good excuse.

'We should get going. The sooner I start packing the sooner I'll finish. And then we can… I don't know, take a walk or something' she stood up and brushed the grass and leaves off.

The blonde nodded and stood up too.

They headed for the hotel and took the elevator to get to Rachel's room.

The brunette took her suitcase and opened it on the floor. She stood still for a couple of minutes looking all over the room.

'What's wrong?' the blonde asked

'I don't know where to start from!' she chuckled. Quinn chuckled too

She started putting her trousers and continued with her t-shirts.

'Can you hand me that blouse?' she pointed at a chair in front of the bed where a blouse was hanging from the back. Quinn grabbed it and folded it carefully.

'Thank you' Rachel smiled widely when the blonde gave it to her.

Quinn smirked and sat on the edge of the bed staring at the suitcase. Rachel frowned concerned and opened her mouth to say something but quickly changed her mind. She opened one of the drawers of the night table and picked up some papers and put them in one of the pockets of the side of the suitcase.

Quinn stood up and wandered around the room for a while looking at Rachel from time to time and flicking through her phone.

Rachel noticed her restlessness and opened her mouth again to ask her, but Quinn beat her to it.

'What's this paper bag?' the brunette looked at the bag Quinn was holding

'Oh thank god! I almost forget it!' she stood up quickly and ran towards the blonde 'It's a gift for my dads' she unwrapped it and showed it to Quinn 'Look, it's an album by The Dixie Cups. My dad will love it!' she smiled and took the other gift out of the bag 'And this is the special edition of The Sound of Music. This one's for my daddy, he's such a fan of Julie Andrews'

Quinn was staring at Rachel while she was showing her dads' gifts. She smiled widely and continued contemplating the brunette who was now looking back

'What?' Rachel chuckled

'Nothing' she answered giggling 'These are cute. You're cute' she cupped her cheek with her hand and kissed her on the forehead. She released a deep breath 'You should go on' Rachel nodded and turned around to put the paper bag in the suitcase.

She folded some t-shirts and another trouser and placed them in a free spot.

'Do you want me to invite the guys over for a little goodbye party?' Quinn asked her

'Yeah! Absolutely!' she replied smiling 'I can't leave without saying goodbye to them'

'Okay. I'm gonna call Britt. I'll be outside… I won't take long' she opened the door and got out of the room. She frowned at the weird behavior of the blonde.

She rested her head on the edge of the bed and sighed deeply. She gathered her bathroom stuff and put it in a small bag. Once she had placed it in the suitcase she stood up to checked the closet, the bathroom and the drawers just in case she forgot something. Moments later Quinn appeared again.

'Are they coming?' the brunette asked

'Yeah, they want to say goodbye too'

'Are you okay?' she inquired abruptly. Quinn's eyes widened in surprise

'Yeah… why?'

'I don't know… you've been too quiet and silent this afternoon'

'I'm fine, Rachel' she chuckled 'I didn't want to distract you. Packing bags is a tough task' she smiled to comfort the tiny girl

'Okay…' Rachel muttered. She turned to close her suitcase but failed the attempt 'For fuck's sake! Why do suitcases close when you start your trip but not when you finish it?' Quinn laughed and got nearer

'Let me help you' she kneeled down 'Push' the brunette complied 'Hold on' she zipped it close 'That's it!'

'Yay! Great job!' she hi fived her and Quinn burst out laughing.

The blonde rested her head on the edge of the bed and Rachel followed suit. Quinn put her hand on Rachel's and intertwined their fingers.

'They'll be coming over at around 9. Do you wanna do something before?' she asked the brunette

'What do you wanna do?' she emphasized the 'you'. Quinn raised her eyebrows in surprise 'We've been doing what I wanted the whole week. Now let's do something you want'

'Well, since I've lived here for a while and this is your first time visiting the city, I still think you should choose' Rachel gently squeezed her hand trying to convince her. Quinn stared at her and swallowed 'A walk will do for me' Rachel nodded and smiled victoriously

'Then let's go for a walk'

They stood up and headed for the door. Rachel turned back to grab her bag and the room key. Quinn waited for her and when she was back she stood still in front of her. Both girls looked straight into each other's eyes and Quinn cupped her face with her hands and rested her forehead against Rachel's. She caressed her cheeks with her thumbs and pulled her into a tender and passionate kiss.

They wandered around calmly through the streets heading for Quinn's apartment. They bought some drinks in a supermarket near her house and got into the building.

Santana arrived first and Puck was next. They settled in the living room while Britt went to her room to get her laptop.

'Ok, now that Mr. Laptop's here we can get this party started!' Britt exclaimed and everyone laughed. She clicked the 'play' button and the music began.

Puck went to the kitchen and came back eating a chocolate bar. Quinn groaned

'Hey! You thief, those are mine!'

'I know. It's not my fault that you always buy my favorite ones' he sat down next to Rachel and grinned at Quinn handing the bar to her to bite it. 'Do you wanna leave New York, little girl?' he asked the brunette and gave her a light hug with his free arm.

She shook her head eagerly and laughed 'No!'

'No one does!' Britt and Santana said in unison. They looked at each other and Santana pinched her cheek

'I remember my first year here I was sad anytime I had to go back home, because New York had me under its enchantment. And still does' Santana explained

'Where are you from, Santana?' Rachel asked her

'I was born in Dominican Republic, but we moved to Baltimore when I was 5 because my mom got a job as an administrative assistant in an insurance company' she replied

'So you speak Spanish?'

Santana nodded

'She's so hot when she speaks in Spanish' Britt replied with a smirk on her face 'And when she's really angry, she curses and yells in Spanish. It's also very hot' she took a sip from her glass, still smirking. Rachel laughed

'She tried once to teach us but only Quinn is good at it' Puck stated. Rachel turned to face her and raised her eyebrows in inquisitive surprise

'Say something in Spanish! Please!' the brunette asked her but the blonde ducked her head down in embarrassment and shook her head

'No… I forgot most of it!' she replied shyly.

Rachel squeezed her hand softly 'C'mon, just a few words' she pouted looking at her. Quinn giggled and looked at her brown eyes. The rest of them started cheering.

'Esta noche estás preciosa' she smiled and took her gaze away to hide her blushed cheeks

'Aw! That was so cute!' Santana exclaimed

'What did she say?' Rachel asked. Santana looked at Quinn and she widened her eyes. Britt tilted her head close to Santana so she could tell her in her ear. When Santana whispered the meaning Britt smiled and looked at Quinn happily.

'What is it?' Rachel insisted

'Nah, it's just that her accent is very cute' she laughed. Rachel narrowed her eyes in disapproval

'So you guys are hiding information, huh?'

'Part of the mystery' Quinn replied to close the subject

Puck suggested they play some game and they agreed.

'Okay, so I make a statement about myself and you have to decide whether it's true or not. Those who guess it correctly drink one shot and those who don't drink two. And then we go on clockwise'

They started playing. Puck, Britt and Santana made up their statements and everyone had to drink twice. Quinn stopped to think her own one.

'One of the things that are on my bucket list is ice skating in Rockefeller Center while singing Stevie Wonder's 'I'm singing'. Go ahead' she paused herself. They looked at her in surprise 'Who says false?' Santana and Britt raised their hands 'Who says true?' Puck hesitated and finally raised his hand. Rachel was looking at her 'What do you say?'

'I'm trying to decipher' the brunette looked at her giggling due to the alcohol and Quinn started to blush 'It's true!' she yelled 'It is true!' she raised her hand excitedly.

They were expecting her answer. She nodded and told them it was true. Santana and Britt gaped in surprise and Puck and Rachel hi fived

'Yay! It's the first time I have to drink one shot only' Rachel laughed

They kept on playing for a while until the bottled was almost empty. Puck poured it in Rachel's glass and she drank it. Britt took the bottle.

'Let's play spin-the-bottle!' she spun it and grabbed it to make it point at Quinn 'Quinn!' they all clapped except the blonde

'Gosh, you guys are so drunk again' Quinn rolled her eyes

Britt took the bottle one more time 'Who'll be the fortunate one?' she smirked while she spun it again and stopped it when it pointed at Rachel 'Rachel!' they cheered

'Fate has laid a hand!' Santana clapped her hands.

Rachel held Quinn by the chin and pulled her closer in a passionate kiss

'Oh my god…' Puck gaped. They pulled away and Rachel giggled.

'C'mon, Rach. Let's go to bed and get some sleep or you'll feel awful tomorrow for your flight' Quinn suggested while removing a lock from Rachel's face.

'Sure, that's what you call it now, right, Quinn?' Santana asked her jokingly 'Getting some sleep' she gestured the quotation marks.

'Yes!' Rachel screamed excitedly 'Let's get some sleep!' she stood up and raised her fist victoriously and walked towards Quinn

'So what's your favorite place in New York? Quinn's room?' Puck asked the brunette

'Shut it Puckerman!' Quinn yelled

'Actually, it's Quinn's vagina' she replied and burst out laughing.

Quinn's jaw dropped. She grabbed hold of the brunette's hand and took her to her room with a hint of annoyance.

Rachel started kissing her neck when she closed the door and Quinn's annoyed state started vanishing. She sighed and held the brunette by the shoulders to pull her away and take her by the bed.

'I'm serious Rachel. You should get some sleep' she said harshly

'Why are you so upset?' the brunette asked with a frown. She was getting upset too

'Well, it's pretty awkward that your…' she paused herself to think 'your one-week stand gets drunk as hell and starts talking about your private life' she replied sharply rising her voice.

Rachel gaped and frowned feeling hurt

'Wait, what?' she was rising her voice too 'Your one-week stand? That's what I am to you?'

'Excuse me? You're not my girlfriend and you are leaving tomorrow!' she pointed at her angrily

'Okay. Screw this. Screw you!' she walked towards the door pushing Quinn away 'Say goodbye to your one-week stand!' she took her bag and grabbed the doorknob.

'Wait, Rachel! You're drunk!' Quinn yelled

'I'm perfectly fine!' the brunette yelled back and left

Quinn remained standing still, frozen. She wasn't sure whether to stay there or follow her. She felt hopeless anyway.

She decided to stay.


	7. Chapter 7

_CHAPTER 7_

Quinn headed for the living room and saw Puck sleeping on the couch. She walked towards him and kneeled down beside the arm of the couch. He was lying on his front with his right arm falling over the edge, his hand resting on the floor in an awkward position. She shook his shoulder to wake him up

'Noah…' she waited 'Noah…'

'Why are you calling me Noah?' he replied with a sleepy groan. He opened his eyes confused. He leaned on his elbow and looked at his watch 'It's 8.47' he groaned once again and then looked at her to meet her distracted gaze

'We have to talk' she said slowly. He sat down and stared at her in concern.

'Why? What happened, babe?' he took a look around the room 'Where's Rachel?'

'I screwed up. She's gone' she replied in a whisper

The blonde rested her head against the arm and sighed deeply. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat. Puck held her by her arms and helped her sit on the couch, pulling her head on his chest.

'Just hold me for a while' she asked him

'Are you gonna tell me what's going on? When did she leave?'

'She left a couple of minutes after I took her to my room, didn't you notice?'

He shook his head 'No, we were playing and fooling around' he rubbed her back softly in order to comfort her 'we didn't notice…'

'We had an argument and she left…' she paused herself 'Well, actually, I told her some things that upset her and she left' she explained

'What kind of things?' Puck asked

Quinn held him tighter and sighed. She felt tired.

'That she was just a one week stand' Puck stopped stroking her back and lifted her head with his hand so as to look at her sad hazel eyes 'That she was not my girlfriend and that she was leaving tomorrow…today' she turned her face away to avoid his gaze and stood up wandering around uneasily.

Puck stood up to reach for her and put his hand on her shoulder leading her to the kitchen.

'Take a seat, Q. I'll make some coffee and we'll talk this out'

The percolator started brewing the coffee filling the kitchen with its smell. Puck took two mugs from a cupboard and placed them on the table. He behaved as if it was his own apartment. He shared that honor with Santana, so now he looked like the host and Quinn was his guest. When the coffee was ready, he poured it in both mugs.

'Thank you'

'How did everything start?' he asked her

'I don't know, Puck' she replied stirring her coffee after putting two spoonfuls of sugar 'I have no idea what happened yesterday' she didn't took her look away from her mug

'Yesterday? So it wasn't just last night?'

'I was a jerk yesterday' she rubbed her forehead nervously 'I've had a knot in my stomach since yesterday…' she was now rubbing her belly 'Since she reminded me it was her last day here' she leaned back against the back of the chair 'Like a fucking slap on the face'

'You've fallen hard for her' he took her hand and caressed it softly

Santana appeared and greeted them happily 'Buenos días, guys!' she smelt the scent of coffee 'Oh, you've made coffee. I was going to prepare breakfast for Britt and I' she suddenly realized something was not okay 'What's wrong?' she asked with concern

Puck turned around to look at Santana and Quinn looked up to meet her eyes. San could see those hazel eyes getting misty. She looked around and listened carefully to the rest of the apartment seeking for any kind of noise.

'Where's Rachel?'

Quinn shook her head quietly

'She left last night' Puck replied. Santana gaped in surprise and stared at the blonde concerned

'I'm gonna wake Britt up. We need a Rachel-vention' she said softly and disappeared

Minutes later Santana and Britt took seats around Quinn and Puck. Britt rested her chin on Quinn's shoulder and wrapped her waist with her arm.

'What happened?' she asked her softly

'What happened is that I'm a douchebag' she sighed

'We need you to be more specific, honey' Santana said 'It must have been something serious otherwise you wouldn't be this upset' she paused herself 'Or she wouldn't be gone'

'I told her she was just an affair and she wasn't my girlfriend' the blonde admitted

'And isn't it true?' Santana asked her in a neutral tone. Quinn looked at her with hurt and bitterness in her eyes

'No, it's not!' she raised her tone

'Honey, I didn't mean it in that way' she took her hand and stroked her wrist 'What I meant is that you both knew it would only last for this week. She was on vacation…' she explained herself and Quinn seemed to understand

'I know, San. It's just that…' she swallowed and cleared her throat 'When I told her those things…I don't know what I was thinking'

'Then why did you do it?' Puck asked her

'You freaked out, didn't you?' Britt stated and Quinn nodded

'She wasn't just an affair. For me… she was special. She is special'

'And you were scared because you realized you might never see her again' Puck said understandingly.

'And what really freaked me out is how fast everything happened. We were just strangers. Why did I have to bump into her on the metro?' she held back a sob 'When I woke up the day after we first had sex she was stroking my back and…' she smirked at the memory '…and I felt so comfortable and like… like unaware of reality' she shook her head to shove the feeling away 'Why didn't I stop it before I got myself caught up like this'

'Quinn, babe, you can't decide that' Puck interrupted her 'You wanted to spend time with her. It felt right for you. It's okay, don't punish yourself for that'

'Puck, I should have been more cautious about it!' she yelled at him 'I wasn't supposed to fall in…' she paused herself abruptly 'God! How is this even possible?'

'What's wrong about it, Quinn?' Santana asked her letting out a chuckle

'I've known her for just a couple of days! How can you even consider love as an option?' the blonde replied

'Quinn, you know my story with Britt. When I first saw her she caught my eye from the very beginning. Then we met and I saw her dancing and I couldn't get that image out of my mind' she looked at Britt and smiled 'I couldn't get her out of my mind. I didn't know what was happening to me, I just knew I wanted to spend time with her' she looked back at Quinn 'I didn't know if it was love or whatever, but it felt so freaking good. And that's exactly what's happening to you.'

'But Britt didn't have to go back home…' she replied. A tear rolled down her cheek as she ducked down her head.

'So what? You could have told her that you like her. Or that you wanted something more, not just a vacation affair' Puck stated looking straight into her eyes

Quinn chuckled bitterly and wiped her tears 'You gotta be kidding me.' she mocked him 'Would you tell a girl you just met that you want something more? She probably would have freaked out and run away thinking I was a stalker.'

'Stop that girl-you-just-met bullshit!' Puck raised his voice angrily. Quinn widened her eyes in shock. 'Sorry, sometimes your stubbornness gets on my nerves' he apologized with a smile

Quinn smiled back 'Plus, she probably has someone in Lima or she simply isn't interested in me…' she whispered, frustrated.

'Okay' Britt held her by her chin and made her look at her 'You know how much I enjoy slapping you when you're being ridiculous and stupid'

'Well, thank you…' Quinn complained

'I'm serious Quinn' she continued 'Do you think Rachel is the kind of person that sleeps with everyone while having someone else?' she asked her 'Do you think she spent her vacation with you without being interested? Think twice before you speak!'

'But she didn't…'

'Let me finish' she interrupted raising her hand 'Quinn, it's obvious that you haven't seen yourself when you're with her. But also, you haven't seen the way she looks at you and the way you make her smile. You know, that smile…what was its name? Douche smile?' she frowned and looked at Santana and Puck seeking for help. Quinn laughed

'Duchenne smile' the hazel-eyed girl replied

'Yeah! That one!' they laughed

'It's true, Quinn. She really looked happy with you. I don't get why you can't see it.' Puck stated 'We told you that night at the party' he looked at Santana, who was nodding in agreement and then back at Quinn

'That's right. She was smiling like a fool all night long. And she wasn't smiling because of us. She was smiling because of you.' Santana pointed at her with a smirk on her face. 'So get that stupid idea that she's not interested in you out of your mind.'

Quinn was feeling better, but she still had that knot in her stomach

'But… maybe she was just interested for a while'

'Slap arriving in 3, 2, 1' Quinn held Britt's hand to stop her 'Okay, I'll give you one last chance. If she was interested in you just for the week, then why did she get so upset when you told her those things last night?' she raised her eyebrows inquisitively

'Just put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if she told you that?' Santana asked her

Quinn leaned back and sighed 'I'm exhausted' she grabbed her mug and took a sip. The coffee was cold

'Wow, you finally tried your coffee. We did a great job, girls' Puck said playfully and Quinn laughed.

'I'm gonna call her. I need to fix this' she stood up and went to her room to get her phone.

She came back searching in her phone for Rachel's number but finding nothing

'Fuck…'

'What's wrong?' Santana asked

'I don't have her number…' she looked at them disappointed 'Do you guys have it?'

They looked for the brunette's phone number but none of them had it on their lists. Quinn wandered around the kitchen trying to focus and think clearly.

'I'm going to her hotel' they clapped and cheered 'Wish me luck' she bit her lips and grabbed her bag before leaving.

'Go get your girl!' Britt screamed excitedly

The metro car was almost empty. Quinn took a seat near the door and started fidgeting with her fingers in order to calm her nerves.

When she arrived at the stop, she quickly got outside the station. She ran down a couple of streets and then she turned and took a perpendicular street and went on until she reached a light grey building. She went in and looked for the reception, which was on the left side of the hall. There was a young boy sitting behind the reception desk.

'Good morning' she greeted him

'Good morning. How can I help you?'

'I'm looking for a guest. Her name's Rachel…'

'We have several guests by the name of Rachel' he replied politely 'Do you know her last name?'

Quinn doubted for a while and replied dejectedly 'No I don't…' she paused and remembered something 'I know her room number. It's 314'

'314…314…' he hummed while looking on the computer 'Ah, Miss Berry'

'Berry…' she whispered

'I'm sorry. She just checked out not long ago' Quinn froze when she heard the news

'Okay… Thank you'

She rushed off the building and once she was outside, she leaned against the wall and trickled down, feeling the air hitting her face. She tried to breathe and gather her thoughts.

After a while, she opened her bag and looked for her phone. She waited for Puck to pick it up but there was no response. She looked at her watch and realized he might have arrived at the café and he wouldn't be able to pick up the phone.

'Fuck…' she muttered to herself. She was late for work.

She hesitated, downhearted. She didn't know what to do. She stayed in front of the hotel for a couple of minutes, trying to clear her mind and gather her thoughts.

She took the metro and headed for the café.


	8. Chapter 8

She threw the keys on the living room table once she had closed the door of her apartment. She sat down on the couch and looked at the pile of essays that were scattered on the table. She always found working in the living room more comfortable than in a study. Especially, since she was living by herself.

She went to the kitchen and opened the fridge looking for something to drink as she wasn't very hungry and once she had grabbed a bottle of orange juice she went back to the couch and resumed her work.

Correcting tests and essays had a relaxing effect on Rachel. Though she found frustrating reading a bad essay or a little serious one, she was pleased whenever she read one that was carefully written. She also had to correct from time to time some funny answers that some students meant as a joke. She would laugh at their imagination and would always write in red ink annotations such as 'If only you used this creativity to participate in class more often…' or 'It would be amazing if you used your imagination to help you in your schoolwork'.

She was half through with her work when the doorbell rang. Her stomach clenched and quickly put the papers aside. She ran towards the door and opened it. Her jaw fell open when she realized who her visitor was.

'Kurt…' she whispered shocked 'Kurt!' she yelled and jump in his arms 'Oh my god! It's you!' they remain glued together for a couple of minutes laughing with joy.

She motioned him to come in and closed the door behind him

'What are you doing here?' she asked him still in surprise

'I came to visit!' he explained excitedly 'I have a couple of weeks off and I've been saving money these years. So I didn't think twice' he held her once again

He took a look around the living room 'It's even more beautiful in person than in pictures'

'Oh, I forgot! You've only seen some photos. C'mon I'll show you around'

She grabbed his hand and took him to her room and the bathroom and then to the kitchen. It was a small apartment but Rachel found it cozy and perfect for her.

She offered him a drink and went back to the living room.

'Oh, so you were correcting tests?' he asked her looking at the pile of papers

'Essays actually' she sat down beside him 'Don't worry, I'll finish them later'

'Bien sûr, you're the boss in there' he replied playfully

'How's everything going?' she asked him 'Did Émeric come with you?'

'No' he answered pouting 'He has to work, so I came by myself. Oh, and don't tell Mercedes. Next Friday I'll be flying to Los Angeles to see her and I want it to be a surprise'

Rachel pretended to zip her mouth close 'When did you arrive?'

'Yesterday. It was a surprise for my father and Carole too. He started crying when he saw me at the door' Rachel laughed

'They must be so excited' she replied sipping from her juice 'Have you been somewhere? Have you seen anything different or new? Is everything in the same place?' she asked him laughing

'No, I've only been for a little walk to the groceries and the hairdresser with Carole and to the tire shop with my dad and everything seems to be the same' he paused himself 'Mais… mon dieu!, it's so weird' he chuckled 'I'm like… I don't know, I'm like 'why is everybody speaking in English?' or when I was at the groceries with Carole and the price had the dollar symbol and not the euro one. Those details freak me out.'

Rachel laughed at the confession 'If you thought Lima sucked, now that you can compare with Paris you must think it's the worst place ever' she stated and Kurt nodded after hesitating

'Just like you after coming from New York, right?' he asked her pointing at her 'How was it? Tell me!'

'Fine' she said laughing

'Fine? That's it? Just fine?' he touched her forehead with his palm 'Are you sick or something?' Rachel laughed and shook her head

'It was amazing. The best week of my life' she replied chuckling. Kurt stared at her suspiciously

'Then what happened?' he inquired dramatically shaking his hands in the air. The brunette sighed and her smiled vanished for a while

'I met someone' she replied ducking her head down

'Oh. My. God.' Kurt gaped shocked 'What? How is he?' He asked her with curiosity

'He…is a she'

'Oh. My. God.' he chuckled and started laughing 'And, how is she? You have to tell me everything. Everything!'

Rachel rubbed her forehead to clear her thoughts 'God, I have no idea where to start from.' she paused herself and breathed deeply 'She is… this girl, Quinn… she's the prettiest girl I've ever met. But she's a lot more than that' she looked at him with warmth in her eyes 'She's sweet, she's smart, she's confident…' she paused herself 'God, I hate her' she rested her head against the back of the couch and released a sigh

'I don't get it' Kurt replied confused 'You just said wonders about her and now you hate her? What happened?'

The brunette sighed 'She told me I was just an affair'

'So…?' Kurt frowned still confused

'I like her. I like her a lot' she looked at him and saw his eyebrow raising 'I know, I know. Don't call me crazy. I'm aware I've only known her for a week, but…' she paused herself and released a deep breath 'God, I hate her'

Kurt pulled her in his arms and rubbed her arm gently to comfort her

'Oh, my poor little girl. You're not crazy' he pecked her forehead 'How did you meet her?'

'We met by chance in the metro. She was singing with her friends and I kind of followed them. She noticed me and she asked me to join them. And after that she invited me to a party at her apartment.'

'Wow. She didn't waste her time' he said giggling. Rachel chuckled sadly

'We had sex that night and we spent the rest of the week together'

'Damn, girl, you didn't waste your time neither' he said playfully and held her by the chin caressing her cheek with his thumb 'Not even my best moisturizer can beat a week full of sex. Look at your skin, it's perfect' he replied seriously. Rachel couldn't hold back her smirk 'Wow. And I can tell it was good sex by the size of that smirk' the brunette chuckled shyly

'She was amazing. She was…' she paused herself 'I mean, she…' she took a breath and tried to gather her thoughts 'It was like…'

'Oh gosh, Rachel Berry at a loss for words. Never thought I would live long enough to witness that' he interrupted giggling 'But turns out it only took another girl to leave you speechless' he laughed and Rachel hid her face in her hands and finally rubbed her forehead so as to clear her train of thought

'Do you remember that guy you told me you had hooked up with?' Kurt nodded 'How was he? I mean, was he affectionate…caring?

'Hmm, not much. He was fine in bed, but we didn't get very close emotionally. It was just sex and then I would go back home' he chuckled 'It was just a couple of times but, you know, there was no connection. Not really worth hanging on'

'See? We were just two strangers who fucked one night. Leaving her apartment after that would have been the easiest thing to do!' she raised her voice angrily 'But she had to hold me in her arms so carefully and be so attentive. And she had to look at me with those fucking beautiful eyes and smile at me with those ridiculously pretty lips and her cheekbones… and her…and her… Goddammit!' she tried to swallow and hold back a threatening sob.

'Rachel…' Kurt looked at her with concern and pulled her close to him

'And she had to take me to places she loves and share her thoughts and all the troubles she's been through only just to tell me afterwards that, basically, it meant nothing for her' she released a sob and tears started to roll down her cheeks

Kurt held her tighter and softly stroked her back in order to comfort her.

'It's okay…. It's okay…'

'No it's not! Because she's right, we were only together for a week. I had to come back and she had to stay there' she replied crying 'I have no right to be like this over a romance that was bound to end' she wiped her tears and cleared her throat 'But… fuck! It's so frustrating! And painful…' she stated sadly

'Merde… Je ne sais pas… sorry.' he shook his head lightly and chuckled 'I don't know what to say…'

After a while, her crying began to cease and she apologized for her ranting with a chuckle. Kurt shook his head laughing and rubbed the back of her neck soothingly

'Have you talked to her after what happened?' Kurt asked her and she shook her head 'Did she called you or something?'

'No…' Rachel replied. After a few seconds she frowned and arched her eyebrows in surprise

'What's wrong?'

'I… I just realized I don't even have her phone number…' she confessed in a whisper 'What if she tried to contact me but couldn't because she didn't have my number?' she asked him with a hint of hope in her eyes and her voice. Kurt shook his head slowly and cupped her face between his hands.

'Ma petite… Don't do that. Been there, done that. You know it. And you were the first to scold me whenever I built my hopes up on Blaine' Kurt tried to comfort her

'But that was different. He cheated on you!'

'I know it's not the same situation, but the consequence is. He hurt me and she hurt you. Don't punish yourself with what ifs.' he replied as she ducked her head down, defeated.

After a little time letting the last tears roll down, she felt a bit calmer. She stood up and went to the kitchen and poured herself some water. She offered Kurt some, but he declined. She stayed in the kitchen for a couple of minutes resting her back against the counter. Once she had drunk her glass of water she turned back to the living room

'You know what?' she asked him a little bit more cheerful. Kurt looked at her with curiosity 'I've been looking for music schools in New York. Summer schools actually. When I came back to Lima I realized I have to be there'

Kurt gaped in surprised and excitement 'Are you serious? That's amazing!'

'I missed the deadlines for the regular courses of most of the schools, but I've been doing some research and I found a few that have summer courses and workshops, so maybe I have a chance' she said smiling. Kurt shook his hands with excitement

'C'est super! Je suis très…sorry!' he stopped himself when he noticed Rachel's confusion and both burst out laughing

'You must have learned a lot of French you're even forgetting your English' she replied laughing. He raised his hand apologetically and continued with his congratulations

'I'm so happy for you!' he hugged her 'Have you applied yet?'

'This morning I sent emails to some of them for further information, so I just have to wait for a reply' she replied with a smile

They kept talking about Rachel's new aim and she filled him in with town gossips and everything that had changed since Kurt went overseas. He described his love for Paris and how it changed his way of thinking and seeing things. Both of them were discovering things about themselves and they just realized they were no longer the teenagers they were when they spent their time at glee club. They made a toast for the old and the new Rachel and Kurt.


	9. Chapter 9

_I can't buy your love, don't even want to try._

_Sometimes the truth won't make you happy, so I'm not gonna lie._

_But don't ever question if my hearts beats only for you._

_It beats only for you._

_I know I'm far from perfect, nothing like your entourage _

_I can't grant you any wishes, I won't promise you the stars_

_But don't ever question if my heart beats only for you._

_It beats only for you._

_Cause when you've given up_

_When no matter what you do it's never good enough_

_When you never thought that it could ever get this tough_

_That's when you feel my kind of love._

Daniel and Sarah were singing a song in the choir room. That week they were practicing songs in duets. Rachel paired them randomly so they had to work with someone they didn't have much contact with. Both kids had great voices, but they hadn't sung together before. And Rachel was gladly surprised by the outcome. The lyrics touched her deeply. That morning she got up on the wrong side of the bed and she was feeling a bit more sensitive than the previous days.

_I know sometimes I get angry, and I say what I don't mean_

_I know I keep my heart protected, far away from my sleeve_

_But don't ever question if my heart beats only for you._

_It beats only for you._

She ducked her head down but quickly lifted it back up so that the kids didn't realize she wasn't feeling okay.

The song was coming to an end and they started clapping and cheering once the song was over. Both kids stared at her seeking for some kind of feedback. Rachel gave them a small genuine smile and nodded, placing a hand on her chest.

'That was… perfect. Thank you guys' she stood up and walked towards the middle of the room, facing her students.

'I still don't see the point in random duets, Mrs. Berry' a dark-haired girl stated smugly

'Megan, my dear, all my assignments have a reason to be' she replied playfully 'If you want to work in this business you will have to work with people you don't know and you will have to pretend you have chemistry. And you'll have to do it so perfectly well that when the audience watch you perform they even have to believe you are romantically involved' she paused herself and looked at the surprised looks of her kids 'Do you remember when Usher and Alicia Keys sang together?' she paused herself again noticing the frowns in their faces 'Of course not. You probably weren't even born' she chuckled 'Well, when the song 'My Boo' was released there were lots of rumors of them being together. So that's what I want you to do. I want you to work so hard with your partner that everyone believes you're dating. Have I made myself clear?' she asked with a playful smirk

'Yes, Mrs. Berry!' the kids replied

'Okay, so we can call it a day. See you guys next day'

The kids started leaving the choir room waving goodbye to Rachel.

She remained there picking up her music sheets and other stuff and putting them back in her bag. She heard a knock on the door. Sarah always came back to get some extra advices. She reminded Rachel of younger self and couldn't help but smile.

'Sarah I already told you that you were perfect. And I really meant it, so you can…'

'Hi' the voice echoed through the room

She recognized that voice. She froze for a couple of seconds that lasted an eternity and finally turned around.

'Quinn…' she was speechless. Her heart pounded frantically.

'So here's where you teach. It's a lovely place'

'What… What are you doing here?' she finally asked

Quinn stared at her trying to read her mind. She was pleading Rachel with her eyes. She didn't know what to say. Well, she didn't know how to say it or where to start from.

'Can we talk? Just for a while…'

Rachel nodded after a while, but she started looking around, not knowing where to keep her eyes on.

'Can you just wait for me in the parking lot? My car should be the only one parked there at this time' the brunette said 'I need to pick up some stuff from my office' she lied. She needed to breathe and gather herself. Quinn accepted.

When Rachel finally showed up, she saw Quinn leaning on her car and staring at the floor.

'Sorry I made you wait' Rachel apologized

'It's okay'

'Well' she breathed 'I listen'

Quinn hesitated for a while, trying to find the proper words to say

'I wanted to ask you something that's been on my mind since the beginning'

Rachel swallowed and told her to go ahead

'Why did you trust me?' she finally asked and she could notice the surprise on Rachel's face 'I mean…' she took a deep breath 'why did you get off that metro car? Why did you follow us? Why did you sleep with me? I was a complete stranger. I might have been a serial killer or something like that. Or maybe I could have not been interested in you'

Rachel had her arms crossed but she dropped them when she heard Quinn's words. She was about to speak when the blonde continued.

'And then, you spent your vacation' she emphasized the words 'with me. You let me take you to places; you let me get to know you… Why? Why did you let me in?' Quinn found it difficult to go on as her eyes were getting misty.

Rachel was feeling overwhelmed and nervous; she had a knot in her stomach. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

'I don't know…' she started 'I wish I knew' she ducked her head and crossed her arms once again 'When I saw you in the metro I… I felt some kind of force taking over me. I felt my feet were getting me off the car and I couldn't control them. I felt like I had to. And I just let myself go ever since. I didn't stop to think.' she released a sigh, her eyes still on the floor 'When I confessed you that I hadn't had sex with a girl before… I was scared because I thought you would run away. But that wasn't the only thing that scared me. Everything was happening so fucking fast. I was frightened because it never happened to me before. Being so into someone I just met and having all these feelings all of a sudden… I was scared shitless it would all go away as fast as my vacation was over and you would forget me and find someone in New York, where everything is possible and I had to come back to a place I don't belong' she stopped, overwhelmed by everything that was coming to her mind, everything she was letting out. 'And you' she looked up at her with anger in her eyes 'one day you gave me a leaf saying it was your heart. Fuck!' she turned around to get herself together and shook her hands in the air with annoyance and turned around again 'Fuck! Now every time I see a leaf I smile and remember that wonderful picnic, to eventually realize that you made yourself clear about not having room left in your heart for me. And you made yourself clear once more when you said I was just a one-week stand.'

Tears began to gather in the corner of her eyes. The more Rachel blinked the more tears accumulated. She shut her eyes close and took a deep breath. After grasping for some air, she continued.

'And yet I can't blame you because you were right. I was just a one-week affair. I would come back to Lima and you would stay in New York and we probably wouldn't see each other again… It hurts, Quinn. It hurts to death. And I'm scared because I'm not supposed to care about a vacation affair but every fucking morning I wake up I miss your arms around me. I miss the smell of your hair, the way you kissed my knuckles, and those science fiction hazel eyes of yours.' tears started falling from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks 'I miss everything. I need everything' she emphasized those words.

Quinn had her mouth open from surprise and her eyes were also full of tears.

'Rachel…' that was all she could say that moment. After a few seconds she managed to go on 'Why do you think I'm here? Do you think that I don't understand what you're feeling? I was frightened too…' she rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand 'Look… when I was in highschool and realized I had feelings for Carla, it was like a year after we first met…. But with you, everything happened so fast yet so naturally it scared me to death!' she exclaimed releasing a chuckle 'I didn't mean those things I said about you being just a holiday affair. I didn't mean them at all. It was just a way to protect myself; because I knew it was gonna hurt so bad when you were gone. And I messed up big time.'

Rachel looked at her. Her eyes were swollen and red. Quinn took a deep and long breath and went on.

'I knew you were special when I caught you following us and you yelled 'fuck' when I told you to join us' Rachel chuckled, a small smirk appearing on her lips 'I knew you were special when you started rambling and asking about everyone at the party that evening' both girls giggled, the atmosphere was more relaxed 'And I knew I was fucked up the morning after we had sex for the first time and you put your arm around my waist and kissed my nape and said 'good morning' with that sweet voice of yours' Rachel ducked her head down smiling and lifted it back up to meet hazel eyes. She bit her lower lip at the sight of Quinn smiling at her 'But despite being frightened by the thought that everything would end within a couple of days, I knew it was worth it when I saw your face while you were eating that cheesecake at the Hydro' she heard the brunette giggling and saw a bigger smile on her face.

Quinn sighed with some relief and smiled again

'You know' the blonde went on 'I have this lecturer in college that always says that whenever we have to read a History paper or any kind of essay, we should pay attention to the smallest details because they tell the greatest truths. And that's what I feel when I'm with you. These small details tell me the greatest truth of them all, and it's that I've fallen madly in love with you. It might sound hasty but I want to have those details every single day and I don't want to miss any one of them'

Rachel gaped when she finally processed every word that was coming out of the blonde's mouth. She gasped for air and walked confidently towards Quinn to pull her into a hug. The blonde took a few steps forward with her arms open and buried her face in her neck when their bodies collided. She breathed her scent, which was the same she remembered. Rachel pulled apart and kissed her passionately allowing her tears to roll down, knowing they were tears of joy. Quinn was crying too, but couldn't help smiling in between kisses.

They broke the kiss because both of them needed to catch their breaths. Quinn stroked the brunette's cheeks with her thumbs and released a chuckle when she saw Rachel's smile. She gave her a kiss on the forehead and pulled her into her arms, in a protective and caring way. Rachel rested her head on her chest and tightened her grip.

Both girls remained in that position, finally feeling like home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Last chapter's song**: 'My kind of love' by Emeli Sandé

* * *

><p>They arrived at Rachel's apartment after driving from the high school parking lot. They got inside the building and waited for the elevator.<p>

'It's an old building, so don't get scared if you see the walls chipped off or something else' the brunette laughed while they got on the elevator.

Quinn stared at her with devoted eyes and smiling sheepishly

'What?' Rachel asked her, confused

'Nothing…' she paused herself and chuckled 'It's just that… I thought I would never get to see you again because I was too scared to tell you the truth… And now, I'm here in front of you. We both know what we feel. No lies. Nothing to hide. Nothing to fear. It's so…'

'Comforting' Rachel smiled and cupped her cheeks to kiss her

Rachel opened the door and let the blonde go into her apartment, her home. She showed her around and got to the bedroom. Quinn sat on the edge of the bed and looked around with a smile on her face. She felt really happy and relieved.

'What's that little trophy?' the blonde asked pointing at one of the shelves

'Oh, that's my MVP trophy from glee club' she took it along with a photo frame and sat beside Quinn 'The year we won Regionals for the first time Mr. Schue gave me the MVP award. It was a democratic decision. Unanimous, actually' she stated smugly. She handed Quinn the frame 'Look, that's us'

'Who are Kurt and Mercedes?' Quinn asked looking at the photo

'This is Kurt' she replied pointing at him 'Did I tell you he's here?' she asked her excitedly

'Is he? That's amazing!' the brunette rested her head on the blonde's shoulder 'You must be thrilled!'

Rachel released a light scream from excitement 'I can't believe both of you are here with me' she gave her a peck 'He told me to have dinner with him tomorrow, so you're coming with me. You'll get to meet him' the blonde rested her forehead against Rachel's and gave her a light kiss 'Oh, and this is Mercedes' she pointed at her laughing

'Isn't she coming?' Quinn asked

'No. But Kurt is going to see her next Saturday and then he'll go back to Paris' she pouted 'By the way, when are you leaving?' she asked her with concern

'Saturday too' the blonde replied

'Why so soon?' she looked sad

'I know it's too soon, but when I bought the plane tickets I thought that maybe we didn't manage to work things out and… you know, it would be really awkward staying here on my own'

Rachel smiled and removed a hair lock from the blonde's face and caressed her cheek

'How did you find me?' the brunette asked sweetly

'I have my ways…' she replied playfully

'C'mon! Tell me!' the brunette tickled her to make her talk

'Stop it!' she tried to fight her 'Okay, I'll tell you!' she grabbed her hands and held them tightly 'I'll tell you the whole story' the brunette smiled triumphantly 'The morning after you left I went to your hotel but you had already checked out. I thought I had to go to the airport but I didn't know which one your flight departed from, so I was kind of hopeless. I called Noah to ask him to look for flights to Ohio, but he didn't pick up the phone and then I realized I was late for work so I went to the café. I told him what happened and when we finished work we started looking for flight connections to Lima. And as I am a good researcher I looked on the internet the National show choir competition winners from Lima and…' she took a breath 'all roads lead to McKinley High School' she laughed when she was finished, looking at the look of surprise in Rachel's eyes

'That was impressive detective…' she paused herself as she didn't know her last name

'Fabray. I told you I have my ways miss Berry'

'How do you know my last name?

'I found out at your hotel'

'Is good to know that if I'm ever kidnapped, you'll find me' the brunette kissed her slowly and tenderly, stroking her cheeks.

Her hand started wandering down her body, seeking out her skin and the button of her jeans. Quinn helped her unbutton her own jeans clumsily and moaned when she felt the brunette's hand inside her pants. She lay down and Rachel leaned towards her and began kissing her neck, licking her way up and down.

Quinn started rocking her hips, feeling the brunette's fingers tracing circles around her clit and her entrance. She tried to focus on unzipping Rachel's jeans. The tiny girl straddled her and thrust her fingers inside her, which drove Quinn completely crazy. She jerked her hips following Rachel's movements frantically and released a loud moan.

Once she recovered herself she managed to stroke Rachel's clit making her way into her. The brunette began riding her fingers rhythmically while the blonde kept stroking her clit with her thumb. Rachel buried her face in her neck and started moaning uncontrollably.

The brunette collapsed over Quinn, who held her firmly and gently.

'You have no idea how much I've missed doing this with you' Rachel stated after taking a breath and resting her head on Quinn's chest.

The blonde intertwined her fingers with the brunette's and with her free hand she traced her fingers through her hair. They remained like this for a while.

'What are we gonna do?' Quinn asked softly

'I think we can prepare something for dinner and maybe watch a movie'

Quinn chuckled 'I didn't mean that… I mean what are we gonna do… from now on?' she asked, caressing her palm.

Rachel lifted herself and looked at her sadly. She sat back up and took her look away.

'I don't know' she ducked her head down

Quinn sat up beside her and rested her chin on her shoulder 'We'll find a way' she held her hand and stroked gently her knuckles with her thumb.

'I'm scared, Quinn. You've been in a distance relationship before and it didn't go well. What if it happens to us?' Rachel confessed

'Hey…' Quinn held her face by the chin and looked into her eyes 'That was a long time ago. A different time of my life. The Quinn in front of you is more mature and grown up and is willing to try and do whatever it takes to make it work.'

The brunette smiled and gave her a soft kiss 'I'll visit you whenever I have a few days off. I don't want you to skip classes and work. And perhaps in summer…'

Quinn frowned in surprise

'I told Kurt yesterday…. I'm looking for summer drama schools in New York' she smiled when she saw Quinn's face lighting up 'I sent some emails asking for information, so I just have to wait their response'

Quinn beamed and giggled happily 'That's amazing!' she said excitedly and kissed her, cupping her face with her hands.

'I hope they reply soon, I'm dying!'

Rachel hugged her tightly. It was a long and comforting hug. Once she pulled apart, she suggested having dinner so they headed for the kitchen.

Rachel took out of the fridge some vegetables to make a salad. Quinn offered to wash them clean as Rachel looked for a big bowl. Once Quinn finished with the vegetables, the brunette gave a knife and took one herself.

'I was wondering' the brunette started while she was chopping a green pepper 'did they miss me?'

'You mean, my friends?' Rachel nodded and Quinn smiled 'They almost throw me by the window when I told them you had left' she giggled and the brunette laughed loudly

'Were they that mad?' she asked

'Well… maybe I exaggerated a little bit, but' she chopped off the tips of the carrot and started peeling it 'they were quite upset. They obviously thought I did wrong and I had to go get you. You know Britt has this funny habit of slapping me when I'm being stupid, so she threatened me' she giggled

'I must admit, that night I wanted to slap you too' she confessed a bit embarrassed 'I guess storming out was a better choice'

'Who knows, maybe if you'd had slapped me, we would have had angry sex' she said raising her eyebrow playfully.

Rachel started giggling and ducked her head down, blushing 'You can't say those things to me while I have a knife so close to my fingers'

'Sorry' she apologized laughing 'As I was saying, they were upset when I told them about it, so I guess that means they miss you' she said giving her a sweet smile

'I missed them too. I really was very comfortable with them' the brunette smiled back

'I'm glad to hear that'

'And I missed you too' she released a sigh 'A lot'

Quinn put the knife aside and walked towards Rachel. She moved a hair lock away from the brunette's face and caressed her cheek with her thumb. She met brown eyes and gave her a kiss on the nose.

'I missed you too' she traced her cheek and gently stroked her lips with her fingers. She leaned forward and kissed her slowly

'I'm here' the brunette whispered before kissed her back

The blonde took the knife from Rachel's hand and put it aside. She later held her in place against the counter and kissed her passionately. Rachel held her by the neck and slightly opened her mouth to let her tongue in. Quinn held the edge of the counter to keep her as near as possible while the brunette run her hands down her body to finally grab her ass and pull her closer.

Rachel traced her fingers through the hem of her jeans, reaching the button. She felt like an expert unbuttoning the blonde's jeans. She slid her hand inside the blonde's pants, feeling the wetness of her center. Quinn released a deep sigh against her mouth and Rachel bit lightly her bottom lip.

She slowly traced circles around her clit, exploring her folds, caressing her entrance. She thrust her fingers inside and Quinn buried her head in her neck, moaning. She speeded up her movements and the blonde cupped her cheeks and rocked her hips against her hand, craving for more contact.

'You're insatiable, my Quinn' Rachel whispered

'I wonder who's to blame' she chuckled barely audible

Quinn ran her hands under her blouse, caressing every inch of skin in her way up. When she reached her breasts, she rubbed her nipples, tracing circles around them.

'God…' she whispered between kisses 'I love when you don't wear a bra' Rachel chuckled and thrust deeper and faster, making Quinn moan louder.

The blonde pull the brunette's blouse off, throwing it away and kissed her neck open-mouthedly licking her way up to her ear lobe. Rachel did the same with her t-shirt and then got her hand inside once more. She rubbed her clit with her thumb while her thrusts became faster and faster. Quinn jerked her hips and rested the weight of her body against Rachel's holding her tightly.

Quinn looked at her once she recovered herself and chuckled, moving her hair away from her face. Rachel smiled back and cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a long and passionate kiss.

The blonde grabbed her ass and run her hands to her front in order to unzip her jeans. When she unzipped them, she pulled them down, and did the same with her pants. She traced one finger through her folds and watched Rachel licking her lips her eyes full of desire. She traced another one and saw how the brunette tilted her head back in pleasure. She took her fingers out and placed them in between their faces. She looked at her brown eyes with sheer desire and the brunette sucked them slowly, while Quinn contemplated with her mouth slightly open.

The blonde kissed her neck and made her way down, sucking her nipples and licking her belly. She kneeled down and grabbed her thighs to spread them open. She caressed her folds with her right hand and thrust two fingers inside. The sound of Rachel's voice groaning drove her crazy and she fiercely sucked her clit, making the sounds of the brunette louder. She licked her folds, reaching her entrance, which she was still working with her fingers.

'Fuck…' the brunette screamed

Rachel grabbed the edge of the counter to keep her balance and held Quinn's head, pulling blonde locks to keep her in place as her hips were jerking uncontrollably.

The doorbell rang and both girls froze. Quinn pulled apart and looked at Rachel confused.

'What the fuck?' Rachel yelled annoyed

'Are you kidding me?' Quinn complained too as she grabbed her t-shirt and put it back on.

Rachel pulled her pants and her jeans back up and looked for her blouse.

'Where the fuck did you throw away my blouse?' she asked her

'I don't know…' she giggled and looked around 'Oh, it's over there' she pointed at the kitchen arch.

The brunette took it and put it back on. The doorbell rang once again.

'I'm coming!' she yelled at the door

'You mean you were about to come?' The blonde teased her and Rachel gave her a killer look.

Quinn giggled and pointed at Rachel's breasts. The brunette looked down and noticed her nipples were still hard and burst out laughing.

'I'd say I'm cold' she said heading to the door

'Sure. That's why you're hot as hell and your cheeks are still red' she teased her one more time giggling and the brunette laugh

When she opened the door she gaped in surprise.

'Dads?' she looked at them still surprised and then she took away her gaze to meet Quinn's eyes, which were widely open in shock

'Hello, sweetie!' a curly-haired man gave her a hug and a peck on her forehead

'Do you have guests?' the other man asked noticing Rachel's gaze going from them to the kitchen and then giving her a hug

'Uhm, yes…' she looked again at Quinn and gestured her to come closer 'She's… she's Quinn' she replied a little bit embarrassed 'Dad, this is Quinn.' she introduced the tall man with glasses 'Quinn, my dad' she smiled at her

Quinn lifted her right hand to shake it, but suddenly realized that was the hand she was giving his daughter pleasure with, so she abruptly turned it down and raised her left one.

'Hiram Berry' he looked at her suspiciously while he shook her hand. Rachel noticed the sudden change and held back a laugh.

'Quinn Fabray' she smiled politely

'And this is daddy'

'Leroy. Nice to meet you' the curly-haired man shook her hand and smiled at her

'If you excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom' Quinn looked at Rachel who was still holding back a laugh

'Is she a friend from college? Hiram asked when Quinn disappeared in the bathroom 'Her name doesn't sound familiar to me'

'She's from New York' she replied abruptly

'Oh, so you met her there?' he inquired

'Aham…' Rachel tried to change the topic of the conversation 'Why are you guys here? Is there something worng?'

'No, no. Everything's fine. Why can't we visit our daughter and spend some time with her? I thought gay people had got over this kind of discrimination' he replied jokingly

Rachel shook her head laughing 'I mean, you usually come on weekends'

'We know' Leroy replied 'but we've seen you kind of blue these days so we decided to give you a little surprise to cheer you up'

She raised her eye brows thinking about what that surprise had interrupted

'Oh you were going to have dinner' Hiram asked her

Quinn returned from the bathroom and joined them in the kitchen

'Yeah, wanna join? We were preparing some salad' the brunette looked at Quinn with inquiring eyes and Quinn nodded letting her know she had no problem about it.

'Sure, if it's not a problem…' Leroy looked at both girls and Rachel smiled at him shaking her head

'Just sit in the living room and we'll prepare dinner'

Both men went to the living room and the girls headed to the kitchen

'God, is this really happening?' Rachel chuckled in a whisper 'Are we getting punk'd or something?'

Quinn laughed 'I thought you had a good relationship with them'

'I do!' she replied 'But not when I'm having sex with my girlfriend and I'm about to come!' she whispered a bit annoyed. Quinn laughed

'I'll reward you later' she raised her eyebrow playfully and smiled 'By the way, it sounds great. Girlfriend' she smiled widely. Rachel tilted her head to one side and beamed. 'Are you gonna tell them?'

'I think they already suspect something' she laughed 'But, if it comes out during the conversation, then I'll tell them. And I warn you, they'll be asking lots of questions' she chuckled.

They started to chop the vegetables that remained from moments ago and put them into the bowl. Rachel poured some salad dressing and stirred it.

'How do I look?' Quinn asked. Rachel looked at her from head to toes

'Hot' she replied licking her lips

Quinn rolled her eyes and laugh 'C'mon. Will I make a good impression?' she asked

Rachel placed her hand on Quinn's hip and rubbed it reassuringly 'You will'

'Girls! Do you need any help?' Hiram shouted from the living room leaning forward in order to look at the kitchen

'It's okay, we're already finished!' Rachel shouted back

They went to the living room holding the bowl, some drinks and some plates and forks.

They sat in the couch and served the salad and started eating and chatting.

'Oh, guess who's pregnant?' Leroy asked Rachel joyfully

'Who?' Rachel replied hesitating

'Aunt Jane!' Hiram answered excited

'No way!' the brunette exclaimed also excited 'how do you know? How long?' she rambled

'She called me this morning and told me. She thinks it's been 3 months' Leroy replied

'That's amazing!' she looked at Quinn with a big smile on her face and placed her hand on her thigh 'She's my daddy' sister' she explained smiling

'She's been trying to get pregnant but failed and now they finally got it' Leroy said

'And I'm gonna have a little cousin'

Hiram noticed her hand on the blonde's thigh 'So, how did you girls meet?'

Rachel cleared her throat 'We met…' she looked at Quinn 'on the metro' they chuckled 'That was totally by chance'

'Whenever she listens to music she can't help it' Quinn stated smiling. Rachel laughed

'Music?'

'Yeah. Me and my friends were performing and she kind of joined us' Quinn explained and looked at the brunette smiling

Hiram and Leroy looked at each other, with a hint of confusion

'So you sing too?' Hiram asked her inquisitively

'Just for fun'

'Are you guys finished with your dinner?' Rachel asked them and they nodded 'I'm going to clear the table'

'I'll help you' Leroy offered

They headed for the kitchen and dropped the plates in the sink

'Are you gonna tell me what's going on?' Leroy asked her

She looked at him smiled shyly 'I think you already know' she replied ducking her head down

'I don't know, I imagine'

'Well, then I guess what you imagined is what it is' she said chuckling

Leroy smiled and rested her back against the fridge, his arms crossed

'That's why you were so blue these days?' he asked 'Because you had to come back and be away from her?'

'Actually we had a fight the day before I left and things didn't end well' she explained 'But she came yesterday and we work things out' she smiled while she rested her back against the counter, in front of him

'She came all the way from New York just for you?' he asked surprised

Rachel laughed and nodded

'Wow' he exclaimed 'I wonder if Finn would have done that' Rachel rolled her eyes

'What was that about?' she asked him laughing

'Nah, I'm still wondering why you dated him'

They both laughed and she hit him on the arm playfully

'Do you guys want something to drink?' she offered

'Are you sure we don't disturb?'

'As long as you don't make her feel uncomfortable' she paused herself 'Oh crap, we let her alone with dad'

'We'd better be back' Leroy suggested smiling

They went back to the living room with some drinks and sat back down

'Leroy, did you know Quinn is majoring in History?' Hiram asked him

'Wow, that's impressive'

'I was telling him that I'm also working in a café for a living' she explained to Leroy 'And I told him that you sang 'Don't rain on my parade' on the metro' she looked at Rachel

'At least she's smart unlike Finn'

Rachel rolled her eyes and Quinn giggled with a bit of embarrassment

'That's true' Leroy agreed 'And you know, It kind of make sense now, the crush you had on your Spanish teacher'

'Mr Schuester?' Rachel asked horrified

'No, that substitute that also took over the glee club' Hiram clarified

'Miss Holliday? I didn't have a crush on her!'

'Oh girl, when she was your substitute teacher you always talked about her'

'But that was because she was a good teacher!' Rachel replied

'You didn't talk that much about Will' Leroy stated

'She is also blonde' Hiram told Quinn in a loud whisper.

Quinn looked at her and raised her eyebrow playfully.

'Well, I must admit she is very attractive' Leroy raised his eyebrow playfully 'But she is also very talented' Hiram raised his eyebrow playfully. Rachel rolled her eyes 'Ugh, whatever'

The three of them laughed and Rachel joined them.

The spent a nice evening, talking, gossiping about people from Lima and having a good time. Quinn didn't feel uncomfortable at all, on the opposite she felt accepted and she understood why Rachel was such a wonderful person. She was happy she had such supportive parents. She was happy she was with her. She was happy Rachel was in her life.


	11. Chapter 11

_CHAPTER 11_

They were arriving Breadstix in Rachel's car and once they got out they approached the main door.

'Do you think he'll like me?' asked Quinn, holding Rachel's hand

'He will' replied Rachel 'I already told him about you'

'You did?' the blonde asked, confused.

'Yeah, before you came'

'Oh God!' Quinn suddenly stopped 'He must hate me already!'

Rachel laughed and shook her head 'He doesn't! Trust me!'

They finally got into the restaurant and saw Kurt already sitting by a window. He stood up when he noticed Rachel, but frowned in surprise at the sight of the unknown person. The brunette hugged him and gestured to Quinn

'Kurt, this is Quinn' she introduced her with a grin and Kurt's mouth formed an O in understanding and extended his hand towards Quinn

'Hey! So nice to meet you!' he greeted, smiling.

'Nice to meet you too! Rachel talks a lot about you' Quinn replied also smiling

'Really?' he looked at Rachel 'Aww. That's sweet'

They sat at the table and ordered when the waitress came. Rachel's choice was pasta with spinach sauce and Kurt recommended the salmon au gratin to Quinn while he ordered lasagna for himself.

'Do you like Lima, Quinn?' Kurt asked

'Well, I haven't seen a lot, actually' she answered 'This morning I've had a walk near her apartment, but that's all. It's more…' she paused to think 'It's calmer than New York or Boston'

'That's a very sensitive way of saying it' Rachel laughed and Kurt joined

'By the way, Boston?' Kurt asked

'Yeah. I'm from Boston. I moved to New York for college' Quinn answered

'She's majoring in History' Rachel said proudly

'I am' Quinn chuckled shyly

'Wow! That sounds amazing. What do you want to do afterwards?' Kurt asked

'Mmm' Quinn hummed thoughtfully 'When I started I wanted to work in a museum, but…' she emphasized her words 'after these years I'm also interested in gender studies so… I honestly don't know which one to choose' she chuckled 'And, after what your dad told me last night about being young and having a lot of time to do both, I'm actually considering it'

Rachel smiled at her and nodded approvingly

'You already know her dads?' Kurt asked surprised

'Yeah, last night they came over totally out of the blue' Rachel replied 'So they stayed for dinner'

'And what do they think?' Kurt wanted to know

'They totally love her!' the brunette grinned

'They were really nice to me. There's no doubt she's their daughter' both girls laughed

'I take off my hat, Quinn, you survived the Berry men' he bowed to her jokingly. Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head

'You make them seem evil!' she tried to sound angry, but started chuckling

'I know! I know! They're great when your romantic partners are not involved' he defended himself

'That's not true!' she pouted

'I remember every time Finn had dinner at your house he got so nervous. Your dads freaked him out, I swear!' he laughed

'Poor guy' Rachel chuckled 'He would always come so well dress, like, so not Finn-like'

Kurt raised his palm proudly 'That was me'

'I imagined' Rachel admitted 'Finn is not that stylish' they both laughed

'You were friends with him too?' Quinn asked, with curiosity

'Yeah, we were all in glee club. Plus, he's my step-brother. But, I'm team Rachel' he said smiling at Rachel, who beamed.

Quinn opened her mouth in surprise 'Oh, so the tire shop he's working in is your father's?' Kurt nodded with a gentle smile 'And how did your father and his mother meet?'

'At a parent-teacher conference. I introduced them to each other' Kurt replied

'Didn't it scare you? Like, I don't know how your relationship with your mother is but'

'Was. She died when I was eight' Kurt interrupted and Quinn's face softened, suddenly embarrassed

'I'm sorry' she apologized but Kurt waved it off and smiled at her sweetly 'But, didn't it scare you to have a new person in your life, in your house, that you don't really know?'

'Sure it did' Kurt chuckled 'When they started to get serious is when I realized that, damn, I'm gonna have a new mom!' he stated, making a surprised face 'But, then, when I saw my father so happy and bubbly, all fears were gone. And Carole is a lovely and incredibly sweet woman, so is really easy to grow fond of her' he smiled

'Are you scared your mom will start dating someone?' Rachel asked Quinn carefully, resting her chin on her hand

'Your parents are separated?' Kurt asked her

'Divorced' she answered 'And, I'm not sure' she chuckled at Rachel 'I don't know how I will react, I think I'll be happy for her, but at the same time I know I'll be worried, I wouldn't want her to be with someone like him' she emphasized the last word. Rachel held her hand tenderly and rubbed her thumb through the back of her hand.

'You mean, your father?' Kurt asked, concerned and Quinn nodded 'Can I ask, what happened?' Quinn smiled at him

'I came out to my parents and he kicked me out' Kurt looked at her with deep concern and understanding 'Well, tried to, my mother stood up for me. We got our stuff and stayed at my aunt's'

There was a moment of silence, but they didn't feel awkward, just peacefully letting every emotion and every memory settled down. Rachel grabbed her glass and raised it up

'Here's to tolerant, loving and supporting parents'

They smiled and made a toast.

Quinn asked them where the restrooms were and Kurt gave her directions. When she stood up and headed for the ladies' room, Rachel stared at her as she left

'Oh my God, she walks like she owns this place… so hot' she stated while she sipped her glass 'Look at that ass!' she stared at her with her mouth slightly open

Kurt laughed and gave her a nudge 'She really is a very pretty girl' he looked at her, wiggling his eyebrows. Rachel turned her gaze away from the blonde, who'd already disappeared, and bit her lip.

'I told you so' she smiled shyly

'So… what happened?' he asked carefully and Rachel chuckled

'I was picking up my stuff after glee club and she came in to the choir room' Rachel explained and Kurt widened his eyes 'Then she asked me to talk about it and then I let it all out. I told her everything that was on my mind, everything that was torturing me these last days' she gave him a little smile

'And what did she say?'

'She did the same' her smile got wider 'Turns out she was feeling the same way' Kurt smiled too 'She was also afraid that it would all end as soon as I came back'

Rachel rested her face on her hand and bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile. Her eyes were glistening and she looked lost in her own world when Kurt giggled

'What?' she asked with laughter 'She has the ability to make everything she says sound beautiful' she also giggled, ducking her head down, with a bit of embarrassment.

'Wow, you looked in love' he stated smirking playfully

'I think I am' she replied

'You think?' he frowned with curiosity

'Yeah. I still think it's too soon, and you know how infatuated I was with Finn when we first met and look how disappointing it turned out to be. I think I'm a little bit afraid of rushing and make the same mistakes…'

'I don't think you will' Kurt interrupted and Rachel smiled

'I know, I know. I wanna take things slow but…' she paused herself and looked towards the restrooms 'but I feel this time is different.' Quinn appeared through the restrooms door and was walking towards them 'I feel this time something genuinely beautiful is flourishing' Kurt smiled at her in understanding although Rachel was still staring at Quinn as she approached their table.

'What have I missed?' Quinn asked, gently stroking Rachel's back while she sat down

'Nothing special, just Rachel being cheesy' Kurt teased

Rachel shook her head laughing and Quinn joined. The blonde brushed Rachel's bangs and caressed her cheek with her fingers, her touch light and gentle on Rachel's skin made the brunette shiver. She smiled at her, completely forgetting Kurt was there, and Rachel grabbed the hand Quinn was caressing her with and kissed her palm, intertwining their fingers afterwards, staring at each other's eyes.

They went on having dinner and talking. Kurt told Quinn how he met his boyfriend in Paris and she talked about how she came up with the idea of singing in the metro after she'd started singing with Britt once she'd found out she had passed a really difficult test. She read a message from a classmate while they were back home and begun singing Grease's 'We go together' out of excitement. Britt laughed and joined, both of them raising their voices until everybody was looking at them and smiling, laughing or simply frowning in surprise.

When they said goodbye to Kurt and wished him a nice trip to Los Angeles, they headed back Rachel's apartment.

Quinn put some clothes and other stuff in her suitcase while Rachel brushed her teeth. The blonde was sitting on the edge of the bed, folding the last t-shirt she had, when Rachel came back to the room and crawled up on the bed, settling behind her.

'What time have you set your alarm?' the brunette asked while Quinn put the t-shirt back in her suitcase

'Nine' she answered checking her phone

Rachel sighed and hugged her from behind, placing her arm tightly over her chest and burying her face in her neck. Quinn caressed the brunette's forearm gently, brushing her hair with her nose, her eyes closed. They both understood the meaning of that moment and remained like that for a while until Rachel pecked her neck and spoke

'I got you something' she whispered against her jaw, placing a light kiss

Quinn faced her and looked at her with surprise

'Why?' she asked, her lips quirking up

'Why?' Rachel chuckled 'I don't know. I saw it on my way home and thought you might like it' she unwrapped her and rub her back lightly with one hand, the other between Quinn's. She looked straight into her hazel eyes, which were brighter

'And what is it?' she asked smiling. Rachel kissed her before she crawled back to the other side of the bed and opened the drawer of the night table.

Quinn turned to looked at her with curiosity. Rachel hid the mysterious object behind her back and walked towards the side of the bed Quinn was and sat down beside her.

'It's just a silly little thing. No big deal' the brunette said shyly and Quinn let out a chuckle. 'A memory'

Rachel handed her a little purple box. Quinn opened it and saw a paper strip. She realized it was a photo booth strip. She looked carefully each picture. In the first picture, Rachel was holding a paper sheet where the words 'I will' could be read. In the photo in the middle of the strip, Rachel was partly hidden behind another paper sheet, only her eyes were visible. This time the paper said 'Miss'. Quinn traced her finger over the pictures, her eyes getting misty. Rachel looked at her carefully, paying attention to every reaction. In the last photo, the brunette was smiling and looking straight at the camera. It seemed as she was staring directly at Quinn. 'You' was the word of the last picture. She turned the photo and realized there was something else written at the back of the strip. 'The road leads back to you' was scribbled in Rachel's handwriting. Quinn chuckled, choking on a sob. She turned to face Rachel and she smiled at her sweetly. The blonde looked back at the box and noticed the next object was slightly covered by a thin wrapping paper. She moved the paper away and found a little music box. She looked once again at Rachel, smiling

'I didn't know which one you would prefer…so I chose one I love' Rachel explained, biting her lip 'Go ahead'

Quinn took the music box and started playing it. At first she didn't recognized the melody, but suddenly the notes turned into 'Georgia on my mind'.

'It's perfect' Quinn finally stared at Rachel, a tear rolling down. Rachel wiped the tear with her thumb and the blonde leaned forward to kiss her 'It's perfect' she breathed out among kisses.

That night they barely sleep, not caring about the flight Quinn had to take the next morning. They didn't want that night to end. They didn't want to stop making love or just simply snuggling and talking about themselves.

'How did you find out you liked girls?' Rachel asked, her head resting on Quinn's chest and her hand tracing light doodles on her skin

'Mmm' Quinn thought for a while, still catching her breath 'I think I was around 7' she stroked her brown hair 'I liked spending time with my girl friends and every time we played 'truth or dare' I was happy whenever I got the chance of kissing a girl' Rachel burst out laughing 'What? It was fun!' Quinn giggled 'But I knew I couldn't do that outside the game. I didn't know that that was being a lesbian but I knew it was something people didn't feel comfortable with, though I had no idea why' she was serious this time 'So I tried to bury it and act as if I was like the other girls' Rachel lifted her head and rested her chin on her chest, looking at Quinn with concern 'And when I fantasized about girls I always played the 'male role' so I didn't feel guilty about thinking of girls in that way…' she looked down at Rachel who was holding a smirk

'You fantasized with girls at 7 years old? Little pervert' she teased her, laughing. Quinn widened her eyes and laughed too

'That was when I was a teenager!' she started tickling her

'Stop it!' Rachel tried to fight back and eventually managed to grab her hands and stop the attack. She looked at her and smiled at the sight of the blonde pouting and let go of her hands. She lay down beside Quinn, facing her 'Go on, little pervert' she smirked and Quinn giggled

'I wasn't a pervert. Teenagers are just living hormones' she replied smiling 'What was I saying?' she frowned with a laugh

'You were the boy in your dirty, naughty thoughts' she teased again, with a grin on her face

'That's too lame, isn't it?' Quinn asked, a little bit embarrassed

Rachel's features softened and shook her head; this time being serious 'I think it makes sense. My dad told me once he did something similar and pretended he liked girls and that he saw movies and TV shows because he liked the female character instead of the male one' she smiled and brushed the blonde's hair off her face. After a couple of minutes, Rachel asked 'Who did you first come out to?'

'Myself' she replied quietly. Rachel arched her eyebrows in surprise and Quinn smiled at the reaction 'I admitted to myself that I liked girls. I stop pretending I was the boy in my fantasies' she giggled and the brunette joined

'And the second one?'

'A close friend from high school. She then told me she already suspected'

'That must have been a relief, to have someone you could trust'

Quinn nodded, tranquility reflected on her face. She cuddled closer and Rachel placed her arm around the blonde's waist 'What about you? Were you attracted to girls before?' the blonde asked and Rachel stopped to think

'I guess I had a crush on my Spanish teacher' she replied giggling 'But, I didn't took it as a romantic attraction, you know. I just thought it was normal to admire someone, no matter if they were men or women. I guess I didn't pay attention to that signal, as I have always had romantic interest towards boys. But then… you really caught my attention' she blushed and lowered her head.

'Did I?' Quinn asked, flattered

'Yeah… As I already told you, it was like a force. As if your…' she slid her fingers over Quinn's eyelids, closing the blonde's eyes with a barely-there touch 'As if your eyes controlled me' she whispered

'But I didn't force you to do anything you didn't want to' Quinn replied, also in a whisper. Rachel kept on brushing the blonde's features with her fingertips.

'But I found myself wanting to be controlled by you' she admitted

Quinn released a silent laugh and Rachel traced her fingers through her lips, feeling the blonde's kisses.

'It's funny 'cause it's me who feel like I can't control myself when I'm around you' Quinn opened her eyes slowly 'Can't stop smiling, laughing… fantasizing like I did when I was a teenager…' her voice was still low and Rachel couldn't take her eyes off of her 'Imagining all kinds of scenarios with you. And it scares me… but it fills me with serenity'

Rachel leaned closer in order to kiss her 'I know what it is' she kissed her again 'I feel the same'

She pulled her even closer, deepening the kiss. They pulled away, holding their gazes. Quinn closed her eyes, her face peacefully calm

'What kind of scenarios?' Rachel asked with curiosity and a light giggle

Quinn laughed as well 'The kind where we don't have to say goodbye tomorrow' she smiled sadly 'Or us going shopping, living together, decorating our house with pictures of us and our dog'

Rachel laughed at the detail of the dog 'And what's the name of the dog?' she asked

'I haven't thought about that yet' Quinn admitted, laughing too. After a paused, she went on 'Or other scenario in which you are a Broadway superstar and I'm at the front row, watching your first performance' she paused at the sound of Rachel's 'aws' and 'ohs' 'And then we go back home, and we make love until you fall asleep on my chest' she cupped her cheek and smiled before she kissed her.

At that moment, Rachel couldn't fulfill some of Quinn's scenarios, but at least, she knew she would try as hard as she could to make her happy.

The morning after, saying goodbye to Quinn was painful. Wiping away the tears from her hazel eyes and her own tears was something she kind of hated; seeing Quinn crying broke her heart; although she knew that, unlike on her vacation, their relationship was now settled and growing, the blonde she had in front of her at the boarding gate had become her pillar, like her guardian angel and watching the teardrops rolling down her cheeks made her remember that Quinn was indeed a human being just like her.

'Don't cry my little pervert' the brunette cupped her cheeks, smiling

Quinn laughed and shook her head 'Give a dog a bad name…' After a few seconds, she locked eyes on her 'C'mere' she commanded and pulled the tiny girl into a tight hug. Rachel held her tightly too, rubbing her hands through her back.

They pulled away and Rachel cupped her cheek with one hand and kissed her sweetly

'I'll be there with you soon' she caressed her cheek with her thumb 'I promise'

'I'll call you when I get there' Quinn said. Rachel nodded with a smile.

Minutes later, Quinn was boarding the plane that took her back to New York.


	12. Chapter 12

'What's that camera for Miss Berry?' A tall, dark-haired boy asked 'Are you going to post it on Youtube?'

'No, Jefferson' Rachel replied, settling the camera on the tripod 'It's just for private use'

'But, why d'you need it?' a red-haired girl with glasses inquired

Rachel didn't reply as she was focused setting the camera. Once she finished with it, she clapped her hands to catch the attention of the students

'Okay guys! Listen up!' the kids gathered around Rachel 'I'm gonna record the number for 'Wake me up before you go-go'. There's something about the choreography that doesn't work and I have no idea what it is' she explained with a sigh of exasperation 'So once it's recorded we'll watch it and try to figure out what it is'

The kids nodded and Rachel asked them to take their positions on the stage of the auditorium to start the number. They sang and danced to the song while the camera was filming.

Once they finished, they watched the video, but neither one of them could tell what was wrong, so they decided to call it a day and have some rest.

When Rachel arrived home, she dropped her bag on the couch and switched on her laptop. She took the memory card out of the camera and plugged it into the slot and copied the video on her desktop. She clicked on the Skype icon and waited. It was a routine she was getting used to in the past month. It was one of the first things she did when she got home after work. At times, Rachel could see Britt in the living room, behind Quinn and she would also talk to her for a while. The private conversations 'took place' in Quinn's room.

She saw Quinn was online and clicked on the call button.

'Hi!' Quinn greeted, beaming

'Hi!' Rachel tilted her head to one side, smiling 'You showered?' she asked as she saw Quinn's damp hair

'A while ago. The hairdryer's broken'

'You're gonna catch a cold'

'I know, mommy' Quinn teased. Rachel laughed

'Are you feeding yourself well? Is everything clean? Are you studying hard?' she joked along, making Quinn laugh harder

'I am feeding myself well. Today I had a potato pie, actually. Everything is clean and I'm up to date with my assignments' she filled her in 'Mommy' she laughed once again

Rachel chuckled, feeling more relieved that she was talking to her 'What's a potato pie, anyway?' she asked her

'It's a recipe of my mom's. It's similar to cottage pie, but… different ingredients. I'll make some when you're here' Quinn replied

'I approve'

When they talked about Rachel being in New York again it was always a blurred future plan, but this time they had a certain date. When Rachel found out that Nationals were in New York she called Quinn immediately, though she had to hang up as she was in class.

'How did glee rehearsals went?' Quinn asked

'Quite well'

Quinn notice the background was moving

'Where are you going?' she asked

'To my bedroom. I wanna lie down for a while' she chuckled and finally settled on her bed 'As I was saying, the kids are doing great, they're very pleased with the songs, but…'

Quinn frowned 'What is it?'

'There's something about the choreography of one of the songs that… I don't know, it just doesn't work' she gestured with her hands 'Actually, I wanted you to help me out'

Quinn arched her eyebrows in surprise 'Me?'

'Yeah…' Rachel smiled 'And if you don't mind asking Britt' she bit her lip and clasped her hands together, nervously

'Of course!' Quinn chuckled and Rachel let out a sigh of relief 'She's in her room with San, so I'll tell her later, just in case I interrupt' she chuckled

'Thanks' she blew a kiss to her, making Quinn smile

'What do you want me to do?'

'I'm gonna send you a video of them' she said while she opened her email account and attached the file to a message 'Just tell me what you'd change of the choreography. I just sent it by email'

'Okay' she checked her emails and found Rachel's 'I got it'

'Great'

'But is it good? I mean the number' Quinn asked while she waited for the video to download

'It is good. But it's not perfect!' Rachel replied. Quinn giggled 'Don't laugh, I'm serious' she scolded, with a frown, giving her a hard look. Quinn giggled again, raising her hands apologetically.

'Sorry' she smirked 'But you look all cute and sexy when you talk about glee, Miss Berry' she said playfully quirking up her eyebrow.

Rachel chuckled and shook her head.

'At last! It's already downloaded' exclaimed Quinn 'I'm finally gonna know one of the songs' she squinted at Rachel through the screen, while she laughed 'I still don't understand why you won't tell me which songs your kids be doing'

'It is top secret, Quinn' Rachel replied and then she bit her lower lip

'What's that lip-biting for?' inquired Quinn

'It was meant to be a surprise, but… I got you a ticket as my +1' she gave her a little smile as she saw how Quinn gaped 'I probably should have told you earlier, I don't know if you have any appointment that day'

'Are you kidding me?' she replied, almost squealing 'I would cancel a meeting with Obama if it was necessary!' she was beaming

Rachel laughed 'No, you wouldn't'

Quinn nodded in order to refute her, while she opened the file and clicked the pause button

'Okay, I got the video, I'm gonna call Britt and San'

'Okay'

Quinn stood up from the chair she was sitting and disappeared through the living room door. A few moments later she came back, Britt and San walking behind her.

'We're back' Quinn said

'Hi! Rach!' Britt waved happily at her

'Hi, Streisand!' Santana greeted 'How's it going?'

'Hi, girls! Quite well, San'

'You wanted to show us something, didn't you?' asked Britt and Rachel nodded

'Here' spoke Quinn, who made her way to her laptop and explained what the video was about.

Britt hit the play button and sat down, Quinn and Santana took seats beside her. The music started to play and Britt focused completely on the kids moving around the stage. Santana was also paying attention to the dance moves and every now and then one of them would make a comment about the choreography. Quinn just watched in silence, with a big proud smile on her face.

'Oh, that was clever' Britt whispered and Santana nodded in agreement

'What?' Rachel's voice was heard but Britt raised her hand to make her stay silent

'Oh, there' Britt pointed at the screen

'Yup' Santana agreed one more time

Once the video was over, they opened the conversation window once again

'Rach! It was amazing!' Quinn said, beaming

'Thank you, babe!' Rachel smiled back

'Okay, okay' Britt interrupted 'It was really great, Rachel!' she smiled at her and Rachel clapped her hands in excitement 'I like that you used a pop song, but the choreography is very musical-like. That was very clever'

'Yeah, and it gives the song like…' Santana started 'like a different meaning. I don't know if you know what I mean'

'I think so…' Rachel squinted and laughed

Santana laughed along 'I mean, it's not the typical pop dance moves, and it makes the song look like it could perfectly fit into a musical…. Like…. More epic'

Rachel smiled and laughed 'Thank you San! I really appreciate it'

'But, you're right, there's something weird about it' Britt spoke again 'Before the bridge is over, towards the end of the song' she waited until Rachel was watching that part again

After a few seconds, Rachel started nodding in understanding 'Yeah, is that part that doesn't work. Any ideas?'

'In my opinion is too slow' Santana stated

'Yeah, the music is fast and upbeat throughout the whole song but the steps are a bit slow in that part' Quinn said

'Exactly' agreed Britt 'It's not coherent'

'Yeah, you're completely right girls' Rachel said nodding, still focus on the screen

'Let's do something' Britt offered 'I think of a few moves for that part and then I'll send you another video with them, okay?'

'Great! Thank you so much, Britt!' Rachel bowed down and Britt waved it off

'That's my job, girl' she shrugged 'Okay, San and I have to go. I let you alone with your wifey'

'Bye, Rachel!' Santana and Britt waved at her

'Bye, girls!' Rachel waved back

Quinn sat down, facing the laptop once again.

'Did you really like it?' the brunette asked and Quinn nodded, tilting her head to one side, looking at her with puppy eyes

'If you guys don't win Nationals I will kidnap the jury and torture them until they beg for mercy' Quinn stated nonchalantly and made the brunette burst out laughing

'That won't be necessary. We're gonna win' she said smugly

Quinn licked her lips 'You're so fucking hot when you brag'

'I'm hotter when I win' she quirked up her eyebrow and smirked.

Quinn groaned and tilted her head back 'Fuck, why you're so far away? I hate it'

Rachel's features softened

'I'll be there very soon' the brunette promised 'It'll be just a couple of days, but...'

'A couple of days will be better than none' she smiled

Nationals were already there and Rachel was giving the kids the last pieces of advice, cheering them and trying to calm them down.

'Okay guys, we're on stage in five minutes.' She gathered her kids around and they joined their hands in the middle of the circle they'd just formed '1, 2, 3! Let's kick some ass!'

The kids ran towards the stage, all of them remained backstage except for a half-black girl with long wavy hair, who stayed in the middle of the stage.

The curtain slid open and a spotlight lit her up and a piano started playing.

_You've got the words to change a nation  
>but you're biting your tongue<br>You've spent a life time stuck in silence  
>afraid you'll say something wrong<br>If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?  
>So come on, come on<br>Come on, come on  
>You've got a heart as loud as lions<br>So why let your voice be tamed?  
>Baby we're a little different<br>there's no need to be ashamed  
>You've got the light to fight the shadows<br>so stop hiding it away  
>Come on, Come on<br>_  
><em>I wanna sing, I wanna shout<br>I wanna scream 'til the words dry out  
>so put it in all of the papers,<br>I'm not afraid  
>they can read all about it<br>read all about it oh_

_Oh, oh, oh_

The girl walked slowly to one side of the stage, her voice still filling the auditorium. A red-haired girl with glasses appeared on the stage, on the other side and began to sing.

_At night we're waking up the neighbors  
>while we sing away the blues<br>making sure that we remember yeah  
>cause we all matter too<br>if the truth has been forbidden  
>then we're breaking all the rules<br>so come on, come on  
>come on, come on,<br>let's get the tv and the radio  
>to play our tune again<br>its 'bout time we got some airplay of our version of events  
>there's no need to be afraid<br>I will sing with you my friend  
>Come on, come on<br>_  
><em>I wanna sing, I wanna shout<br>I wanna scream 'til the words dry out  
>so put it in all of the papers,<br>I'm not afraid  
>they can read all about it<br>read all about it oh  
>Oh, oh, oh<br>_

Both girls walked towards each other and sang together, their voices mixing together perfectly.

_Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful people  
>so when did we all get so fearful?<br>Now we're finally finding our voices  
>so take a chance, come help me sing this<br>Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful people  
>so when did we all get so fearful?<br>and now we're finally finding our voices  
>so take a chance, come help me sing this.<em>

All the spotlights switched on and the rest of the kids started to walk on stage, joining both girls, singing the background vocals, like a gospel choir.

_I wanna sing, I wanna shout  
>I wanna scream 'til the words dry out<br>so put it in all of the papers,  
>I'm not afraid<br>they can read all about it  
>read all about it oh<br>Oh, oh, oh  
><em>

The piano started to fade away, only their voices could be heard

_I wanna sing, I wanna shout  
>I wanna scream 'til the words dry out<br>so put it in all of the papers,  
>I'm not afraid<br>they can read all about it  
>read all about it oh<em>

The audience started clapping enthusiastically.

Rachel was behind the curtains, watching proudly from there. Quinn sat beside Britt and Santana. Rachel had managed to get them spare tickets. They were really impressed by the talent all the kids had shown in just one song.

'Now it's time for Wake me up before you go-go' Quinn whispered to them to let them know

When the music started playing a group of boys started singing the background lyrics and a group of girls joined them.

Daniel appeared from behind the boys, singing the first verse. Rachel told Quinn once, that she wanted Daniel and Sarah to sing a duet in Nationals and when she sent them the video, she found out they were the lead singers. That couple was a discovery.

The group of boys was the background vocals for him, while they also danced around him, lifting Sarah and taking her up and down, around the stage. The choreography looked like a Romeo-Juliet balcony scene, where Daniel chased Sarah, who was unreachable.

The boys finally let Sarah down on the floor when the chorus begun and placed themselves behind Daniel, dancing and singing with him, looking at Sarah and the girls.

Sarah started with the second verse; it was also her turn during the choreography. She ran around the stage, dancing, surrounded by the girls, and chased by Daniel, who every now and then looked at the audience with a pleading face, immerse in his role.

Quinn and Santana noticed she said 'You're my baby' instead of the original 'You're my lady'.

The chorus started once again, this time the girls sang it enthusiastically. When it was over, both groups were standing separately, facing each other, Daniel and Sarah in the middle. During the 'Jitterbug' break, both groups mimicked their moves, snapping their fingers to the beat and when the lyrics came back again, they got mixed up with their dancing partners, the lead singers begun a slow dance while they sang to each other, Daniel holding her from behind.

The music was the star once again, and now each kid had their partner and danced in synchrony.

'That's your part, baby!' Santana whispered to Britt and pecked her on the cheek

They sang and danced the final chorus, towards the end, the dance couples broke apart and they formed a big group, all mixed up, Daniel and Sarah on the front. The music faded away and the audience exploded in applause, standing up and cheering.

Quinn couldn't stop smiling and clapping. Santana and Britt cheered and yelled excitedly.

The audience stopped clapping and when there was silence once again the music started to sound.

The sound of drums filled the auditorium. When the drums faded, the voice of two girls made its appearance, accompanied by a piano

_Party people say, Party people say  
>Ay, it's a new day, it's a new day<br>The world's getting ready, everybody's ready, yeah  
>For a new day, for a new day<br>Celebrate and say, ay, ay, ay, ay_

Another girl came to the front of the stage and started singing, while the rest of the kids dance behind her with energetic steps.

_It's alright to feel however you want to  
>There's no limitation no<br>Fill up your life, let me see your hands up one time  
>We celebrate mine, cause I ain't gonna get no more<br>So we can do this all night  
>One time, everybody say ay ay oh<em>

The girl joined the group of kids dancing and three of them replaced her spot on the stage, singing at the same time.

_There's a feeling that I got that I can't give up  
>Feeling in my heart that I can't get over<br>I know that it's coming. Let the sun come up  
>Tell me do you feel the same, everybody say<br>_

All of the kids started singing the chorus, running around the stage, mingling, raising their hands to the music.

_Party people say, Party people say  
>Ay, it's a new day, it's a new day<br>The world's getting ready, everybody's ready, yeah  
>For a new day, for a new day<br>Celebrate and say, ay, ay, ay, ay  
><em>

For the second verse, a black boy began singing, while his mates danced behind him.

_Take a look in my eyes, can't you see I'm ready  
>Come alive, let's get it, eh<em>

Two boys placed themselves in the middle of the stage, facing each other but separated enough, raising up their hands, when two other boys ran towards them

_If you wanna touch the sky, hands in the air one time_

And backflipped. The audience stood up, applauding.

_All night and all day  
>I'mma live it loud like there's only one life<br>left to live it up, one life left to live it up_

Another three kids sang their part when the guy finished his verse.

_There's a feeling that I got that I can't give up  
>Feeling in my heart that I can't get over<br>I know that it's coming. Let the sun come up  
>Tell me do you feel the same, everybody say<br>_

The rest joined them in the chorus.

_Party people say, Party people say  
>Ay, it's a new day, it's a new day<br>The world's getting ready, everybody's ready, yeah  
>For a new day, for a new day<br>Celebrate and say, ay, ay, ay, ay_

Clock's on the wall  
>It's now or never at all<br>I'm gonna give it my all  
>Whether I rise or fall<br>I'm gonna give it my all

Party people say, Party people say  
>Ay, it's a new day, it's a new day<br>The world's ready, everybody's ready, yeah  
>For a new day, for a new day<br>Celebrate and say...

The boys who had performed the acrobatics were now breakdancing to the beat of the drums and when the finished their own little spectacle, they ran back to where the group were forming a row

_Celebrate and say..._

All the kids raised their fists in the air and the spotlights switched off.

The audience exploded in applause, whistles and cheering.

Quinn, Britt and Santana also stood up, clapping enthusiastically

'Go McKinley, go!' they shouted with excitement

When the audience calmed down, the host informed that the jury was retiring to vote. Quinn told Britt and Santana that she was going backstage to see Rachel.

She reached the dressing rooms and watched the kids celebrating their performance; some of them hugged Rachel, which made her smile with pride.

'You guys were amazing!' I'm so proud of all of you!' Rachel grinned and hi-fived them.

One of the girls pointed at the door, where Quinn was standing. Rachel ran happily towards her and jumped over her, the blonde held her tightly and kissed her. Most of the kids looked at them in surprise.

'Everybody's gone wild! You should've seen it, Rach' Quinn whispered

'Wow, Miss Berry, we didn't know you were into girls' a boy said

'Well, Ben, there's a thing called privacy' she replied playfully. Quinn giggled, her face blushed. Rachel cleared her throat 'Guys, this is…Quinn' she pointed at her, and smiled when she met her eyes

'Hi, Quinn!' the guys greeted

'Hi! So nice to meet you, guys. You were amazing!' the guys started clapping and shouting gratefully 'I don't know if you noticed, but the audience out there was crazy, they stood up, singing and applauding!'

'Remember the change in George Michael's choreography? She and her friends helped me' Rachel stated and her students thanked her and hi-fived her

They spend a couple of minutes chatting before they went back to the stage to hear the jury's verdict. Quinn went back to her seat and waited patiently.

After some minutes of waiting impatiently, the jury announced the third place was for a high school from Washington. McKinley's glee club and a choir from Chicago were the finalists.

The host opened the envelop and spoke on the microphone

'And the winner of the National Show Choir Competition is' he paused himself. Quinn saw Rachel holding hands with Daniel and another girl, her gaze locked on the floor 'McKinley's new Directions!'

The kids squealed and bounced, full of happiness. Rachel had her mouth open while some of her students hugged her excitedly. The audience applauded and cheered, clearly pleased by the jury's decision. The kids shook their hands with the other students and waited until the host handed them the trophy,

Quinn could see the happiness in the kids' faces

'Look at Rachel!' Santana told Quinn 'Is she crying?' they looked towards her and noticed she was in tears.

'I'm gonna wait for her in the dressing room' Quinn told them

When the kids arrived at the dressing room, Quinn was waiting at the door. She hi-fived them as they were getting in the room. Rachel arrived, holding the trophy with the help of Daniel.

'Virginia, help Daniel and take it inside' she said to the red-haired girl 'I'll come in a minute'

She handed the trophy to the couple and walked quickly towards Quinn, who held her tightly, lifted her and twirled her, laughing.

Quinn cupped her cheeks 'Con-' and kissed her 'gra-' kiss 'tu-' kiss 'la-' kiss 'tions' kiss. Rachel giggled

'Shut up' she kissed her back fiercely, fighting her way in with her tongue, making the blonde moan

'Mmm. I know someone who's gonna get her private trophy'

'Would it be too cruel if we run away and let the kids on their own?' Rachel asked jokingly and kissed her once again

'Nah. We can change our names just in case'

Rachel took her students to the hotel they were staying in and told them she would invite them to have dinner. Quinn went with them and spent the night in Rachel's room.

They tried not to make loud noises, but in some way, victory made Rachel more sensitive and turned Quinn on even more. She remembered what the brunette said about being hotter when she won and she had the opportunity to experience it that night.

'Fuck, Rach. You've never done that with your tongue before' Quinn let out a shaky breath

Rachel kissed her way up to her neck and then looked at her, tucking her hair behind her ear

'Shhh' she hissed 'I've been waiting for this since quite a long' she kissed her on the lips

'Winning Nationals?' Quinn joked and Rachel laughed

The morning after, the kids were already on the bus, waiting for Rachel to get on. Quinn was wrapping the brunette with her arms, resting her forehead against Rachel's.

'Will you come when you finish the school year?' Quinn asked

'I still have to be there after the end of the classes' she brushed off Quinn's bangs 'Teachers' stuff. But when I'm done with that I'll come'

After a couple of minutes, they kissed goodbye, as they were getting used to, and Rachel finally got on the bus and waved at Quinn, who stayed there until the bus was no longer there.

* * *

><p><strong>Songs:<strong>

**1.- Emeli Sandé – Read all about it, Part III**

**2.- Wham! – Wake me up before you go-go**

**3.- Alicia Keys – New Day**


	13. Chapter 13

Final examinations always stressed out Quinn. Britt used to study with her in the living room. Kind of a team spirit thing, to cheer themselves up when they needed a break. But since Britt got the job as the choreographer of the music video, she had got some work offers. At that time she was working for an amateur movie director who asked her to make up a choreography for one of the scenes. It's not like it was a huge production; actually it was just some kind of experimental first movie.

That's why, during these final tests, Britt was out most of the time. And Quinn forced herself not to seek Rachel's virtual company during her study hours; otherwise she wouldn't get a single thing done. Academically speaking. So they usually skyped or called each other at night, as a reward for a well done work.

She preferred studying at home as it was quiet and it took her too long to get to the library. She could also take a break and brew some coffee if she wanted. Of course it had its disadvantages: she was always tempted to call Rachel –she missed her so badly-, the couch was the most comfortable whenever she had to study or get some work done. And also someone could always ring the doorbell, just like in that moment.

She let her notebook aside and hurried to the door to open it.

'Mom?' she gaped in surprised

The woman in front of her spread her arms open and Quinn jumped into them

'Hi, sweetie!'

'What are you doing here?' she asked, still hugging her mother

'I had some days off and I decided to come visit' she pulled apart and brushed fondly her hair 'I hope it's not a problem'

'No!' she laughed 'Well, I have to study, but it'll be great having you here' she grabbed her mother's suitcase and both of them got in.

'Oh, then maybe I should have called, shouldn't I?'

Quinn shook her head and smiled. She took the suitcase to her bedroom.

'Oh, those shelves are new, aren't they?'

'Yeah, I got them ages ago. Haven't you seen them?' Quinn replied

'That must have been after the last time I came. That was ages ago'

'Don't exaggerate' she laughed 'It was Thanksgiving when you came!'

'Says the girl who bought those shelves ages ago' she emphasized her words and Quinn rolled her eyes, laughing 'Plus, you always call me on Skype when you're in the living room, so I haven't seen your bedroom since then'

'I needed more space to put my books and stuff. Also, the living room's brighter' she smiled at her, with her hands on her hips 'C'mon, I'll make some coffee' she suggested and her mother complied.

Once the coffee was made, Quinn got a pair of mugs and served it. She poured half mug of coffee and half of milk for her mother and two spoonfuls of sugar.

'Aw' her mother exclaimed 'Knowing somebody's coffee preferences is such a sign of love'

Quinn laughed at the remark 'Really?' she blushed and beamed as she remembered how Rachel poured just a little cold milk and three spoonfuls of sugar on her coffee when the brunette made her breakfast during her little visit to Lima.

'Yeah' she eyed her daughter and smirked 'What was that blushing for?' she teased

Quinn blushed even more and handed her the mug 'Your coffee' she blurted and chuckled.

'Okay' her mother whispered, quirking up her eye-brow.

They went to the living room and sat on the couch.

'Now seriously, mom, is there a reason why you're here? All of a sudden, I mean' Quinn asked with curiosity.

'Not exactly. I told you I have some days off and it's been a while since I don't visit you here in New York.' she explained while Quinn looked at her suspiciously. Her mother noticed her look and sighed, her lips twitching a bit 'Okay'

'Okay' she repeated.

'Since I divorced your father, I haven't been with any-'

'You've met someone!' Quinn interrupted, gaping, but with a smile.

'Don't interrupt your mother, Quinn'

'C'mon, mom, who is he?' she nudged her 'Or is it a woman and you're here for advice?' she teased, making her mother burst out laughing.

'He's new at the restaurant, we've just met, but he's a very interesting man.' she confessed

'Aw' Quinn smiled 'But, have you two been on a date already?'

'Not exactly a date, just some dinners and meetings with the people from work. But we always end up chatting and talking a lot throughout them.'

'That's great mom!' she beamed at her 'I'm so happy for you' she squeezed her hand 'You should ask him out'

'I already did'

Quinn laughed and gestured at her so that she would elaborate more.

'I told him I'd planned to visit you and he told me it would be nice to hear from me after I went back'

'Wow, he was flirting. Old-fashioned flirting, I guess' Quinn interrupted and her mother chuckled and went on.

'So I said I would gladly tell him during dinner'

Quinn raised her eye-brow and smirked 'You're such a flirt, mom. Didn't know you had it in you' she teased and her mother rolled her eyes and shook her head.

After a couple of minutes in silence, sipping from their coffees, Quinn's tone was more serious.

'You're nervous about your date, right?'

Her mother nodded 'You know, It's been so long' she emphasized her words 'since I don't have a date' she covered her own cheek with her hands as if in astonishment 'Since your father first asked me out. That's a lot of time. I'm terrified, sweetie.'

'I know, mom' she took her hand gently 'I know how terrifying it is to step into something new and something you feel it's special'

'I also wanted you to know in person. This also affects you, Quinn, and I want to have your approval'

'Of course!' she chuckled

'I know, I know you've always been very supportive. But this is something different. This is about your mom dating someone who's not your father'

'Thank god, it's not him' she blurted, making her mother chuckle 'Because I'll be fine with it as long as he's not like him at all'

Her mother nodded in agreement 'He seems a good man' she stated and smiled at her daughter, who smiled back. She took a sip from her coffee 'So, how about you?' she inquired.

Quinn ducked her head down and chuckled.

'Her name's Rachel'

The woman smiled gently and nodded.

'And…' she sighed with a smile 'And she's wonderful' they both laughed.

'Are you dating?' she asked.

'Yes' Quinn beamed. She couldn't wipe her smile off her face.

'How long?'

'Since spring break.'

'Well, tell me about her. How is she, apart from wonderful? What does she do?'

'She's a teacher' her mother's eyes widened 'Don't worry, I'm not into mature women yet' Quinn noticed how her mother released a sigh of relief and smiled.

'How do you guys met?'

'By chance, actually. She was on vacation here and we met in the metro.'

'So, she's not from New York?'

Quinn shook her head 'She's from Lima, Ohio'

Her mother frowned and gave her a look of concern 'Are you sure you want to be in another long distance relationship?' she asked her cautiously 'You know how things went with Carla'

'I know, mom, I was involved, remember?' she sighed and looked up at her with a hint of sadness in her eyes 'That was different.'

'Then tell me why it's different.'

'Because when I first came here, Carla and I…' she paused herself 'we kind of started fighting more often. She was upset because we were gonna be away from each other and she couldn't handle it. And I couldn't handle all the fights either' she ducked her head down 'After everything that had happened during the divorce, the last thing I wanted was to argue and fight with my girlfriend' she looked up at her, sadness still in her eyes 'I guess it was such turbulent times we were in. But now, I'm more grown up, more mature. Things are settled and fine. You look so much happier and I feel more at ease and in peace with myself. I feel stronger; do you know what I mean?'

Her mother nodded with a huge smile on her face, pride filling her entire self 'Of course, I do'

'And when we met, we knew we'd have to be apart. Actually, that was what scared us most of all, because it happened so fast. We fell for each other so quickly and so naturally and we knew we'd have to be in different cities. It's so hard…' she trailed off and sighed 'I missed her so much…' her eyes started to get misty 'She's been looking for drama schools for the summer. Some of them had replied saying there are no places available for summer, but the rest haven't replied yet. And we've been okay these months, but I don't know what will happen if she doesn't get an answer from the schools. I don't know what she will do' she swallowed as the realization hit her 'It's hard and I know it's even harder for her. But…' she paused herself 'what I'm gonna say is kind of crazy, but that's how I feel' she looked at her mother, who was staring at her, listening attentively 'Deep inside I know that it's all worth it. I know that, despite the struggle and these little problems, everything will be fine eventually. And I know that… I feel that she's different'

'What do you mean?' her mother inquired with curiosity

'Since Carla, I've been with other girls, you know, just hooking up-'

'Don't need to give so many details about your sex life, honey' she interrupted and Quinn laughed

'I haven't said anything!' they were still laughing 'Okay, I have met other girls, but they weren't important. I didn't feel anything different, like…' she gestured with her hands as if words would come more easily 'like devotion, like caring. But the night we met, I just wanted to take care of her, make her feel loved' she covered her face with her hands, a bit embarrassed 'I even imagined us, you know, like in a relationship, in a house…' she whispered, rubbing her temples. Her mother laughed and squeezed her thigh reassuringly 'That never happened to me before. Not even with Carla. And it scares me, but at the same time it makes me feel the safest.'

'You sound so in love, honey' she cupped her cheeks and smiled at her daughter.

'I am' she smiled back. A tear –a joyful tear- fell down 'That's why I'm willing to do anything possible to make it work. Because I want that image I had that night to be a reality'

'Then you two have my blessings' she stated determined and hugged her daughter tightly.

After a few moments, they pulled apart and finished their coffees.

'You know' said Quinn, taking her mug to the kitchen, followed by her mother 'I want you to know her'

'At least it's taken you just a couple of months to introduce your girlfriend to me.' she teased and Quinn rolled her eyes 'But I'd love to. Do you know how she likes her coffee?' she joked.

'I do and she knows how I like mine.'

'Wonderful' she smiled.

They went back to the living room and Quinn turned on her laptop, which was on the table where all her books and notebooks were spread out.

'Wouldn't it be awkward for her to meet me?'

'She'll be fine. I already know her dads, so we're even'

'Dads?'

'Yeah, she has two gay dads. She's adopted'

'How are they? Do they like you?'

'Yes' Quinn smiled proudly 'At least that's what Rachel says. But they were really nice to me, so I guess it wasn't a lie' she chuckled and logged into her Skype account 'Just let me talk to her first'

'You want some privacy?' she questioned genuinely, but Quinn laughed.

'No, I mean, just to let her know'

She looked for Rachel and clicked the call button. She waited a few moments until the other girl was on the screen.

'Hey!' Rachel greeted, smiling. She was in her pajamas, her hair up in a disheveled bun.

'Hey!' Quinn melted.

'You call early. You're done studying?'

'Kind of'

Rachel hummed 'What have I told you, Quinn? Focus on your exams' she gave her a serious gaze and Quinn smirked.

She eyed her mother, who was sitting across from her, quirking up her eyebrows in surprise and mouthing 'I like her' with her thumb up. Quinn held back a laugh.

'Is Britt there? Say hi to her'

'No, she's working'

Rachel frowned for a fraction of a second 'And how's she doing in that movie? That girl's gonna be famous. I see it. By the way, who's there? Is it Puck? Say hi to him'

Quinn burst out laughing, ducking her head, snorting 'It's not Puck' she looked up at her mother again, who was now covering her mouth with her hand, trying to hide her smirk, and she blushed.

'Okay…' she trailed off, a bit suspicious.

'It's none of my friends'

Rachel frowned once again and gestured at her so that she would elaborate more.

'I have a visitor. A surprise visitor. That's why I stopped studying.' she explained 'Will you forgive me?' she said childishly, resting her head on her hand.

Rachel's smile widened as she looked at her fondly. She forgot about the visitor when she saw Quinn smiling at her just the same way 'Of course' she replied. She brushed the part of the screen where her image was 'I miss you so damn much, Quinn'

'Me too' she replied in a whisper.

Quinn's feature saddened. Her mother looked at her wistfully. The blonde eyed her and realized she had briefly forgotten she was there.

'Don't you wanna know who my visitor is?' she asked, more cheerfully 'I want you to know her'

'Oh, yes, right, your visitor' she shook her face as if waking up from a daydream 'To know her?' she repeated and then realization hit her 'It's your mom!' she squealed.

Quinn laughed and nodded 'Yes'

'Oh my god! Wait a second!' she put her laptop aside and Quinn saw her standing up and disappearing.

'Where are you going?' she asked, confused.

After a couple of minutes Rachel appeared again on screen. She had her hair down and combed.

'Oh god' Quinn covered her mouth in order to hold back her laughter.

'What is it, honey?' her mother asked, sitting on the chair beside Quinn.

'She just combed her hair to talk to you!' she whispered in awe.

'Do I look nice?' Rachel asked her.

Quinn nodded, smiling and biting her lip. She moved her laptop so that her mother was on screen too.

'Rachel, this is my mom. Mom, this is Rachel' she looked at her mother.

'Hello, Rachel. It's so nice to meet you.'

'Hello, Mrs. Fabray. So nice to meet you too.'

'Oh, please, call me Judy.'

'Okay, Judy' she smiled, nervously 'No wonder where Quinn got her beauty from.'

Judy laughed and Quinn ducked her head down in embarrassment.

'Thank you, Rachel' she took her own hand to her chest, gratefully 'And no wonder Quinn has a really good taste' she complimented and Quinn nodded proudly.

Rachel blushed and scratched her forehead, nervous and embarrassed too. She covered her cheeks with her hands to hide her redness.

'Thank you' she chuckled 'I'm so nervous!' she admitted

'Why?' Quinn asked, playfully 'She can't bite you' she teased

'I know, I know… It's just that for everything you've told me, I admire her' she chuckled

Quinn smiled, while Judy laughed 'I definitely like her' she stated 'Rachel?'

'Yes?' she replied

'Quinn told me you're looking for drama schools' Rachel nodded 'What is it that you want to do?'

'Musical theater'

'Oh, wonderful. If we're ever in New York at the same time we should go see some musical on Broadway. Don't you think so, sweetheart?' she looked towards Quinn, who beamed.

'Yes!' Rachel squealed 'Yes! Yes!'

Quinn burst out laughing.

'I hope you can come and study here, Rachel. That would be terrific. And Quinn would be so happy to have you here' she gave her a calm and loving smile.

'Thank you, Judy' she smiled back.

'She also told me, you're a teacher? High school?'

'Yes. I'm the literature teacher. I also run the glee club'

'She won the National Show Choir competition' Quinn informed, proudly 'As a singer and as the director of the club' she pointed out

'Wow, that's impressive. Congratulations, Rachel'

Rachel laughed in embarrassment 'Thank you. You're making me blush' she ducked her head down

Quinn looked at her watch 'Rach, I'll call you later, okay? I'm gonna help my mother unpack and then I guess we'll have dinner somewhere'

'Okay, babe'

'So nice to meet you, Rachel' Judy said and wave goodbye at her.

'Bye! Judy!'

In that moment, Britt opened the door and came into the living room, and smiled widely when she saw Quinn's mother.

'Hi, Judy!' she greeted as Judy stood up to hug her.

'Hi, dear! How's everything!'

'You know, awesome as usual' she laughed.

'I'm glad to hear that'

Quinn unlogged after saying goodbye and sending kisses to Rachel. Britt looked at her.

'Hey' Quinn greeted with a smile.

'Was it Rachel?' she asked, dropping her sport bag.

'Yes, why?'

'Call her again, I gotta tell her something'

'What is it?' Quinn asked while logging into Skype one more time.

Britt took a seat beside Quinn, who was eyeing her with curiosity.

'You'll see'

Quinn frowned and called Rachel again, who appeared on the screen almost immediately.

'Wow, world record in unpacking luggage' Rachel laughed and Quinn joined.

'It's Britt she says she-'

Britt took the laptop and turned it to have full view of Rachel

'Hi, Rachel'

'Hi, Britt' she smiled at her 'What is it?'

'Well, straight to the point' Britt said 'You know the movie I'm working in, right?'

'Yeah…' she answered hesitating

'Well, Gary, the other choreographer I work with, turns out that has worked for Rick Johnson, you know him?'

Rachel gaped; the name had clicked instantly 'The director?' she hesitated

'Exactly'

'Who's Rick Johnson?' Judy asked

'He's a Broadway director' Britt explained and Judy and Quinn widened their eyes.

'Okay….' Rachel replied, her hands sweating, getting a bit nervous.

'Well, during one of the breaks he told me Rick's directing a new musical, if I recall correctly it's still a workshop' she frowned, trying to remember 'Anyway, the girl who played the main character has signed for a movie, so now he's looking for another one'

'Okay…' Rachel took a deep breath, rubbing the palms of her hands on her thighs 'So?' she gulped

'I told Gary about you and he called Rick. He says auditions start next week and that he'll expect you on Tuesday.'

Quinn chuckled, still processing the information she just heard 'Oh my god!' she hugged Britt, who laughed.

'So you'd better get your ass here by next week'

Rachel was still, frozen. Britt moved the mouse to check if the webcam was working.

'Oh, god…' Rachel whispered 'Oh my…' she covered her opened mouth with her hands and squealed

Quinn kissed Britt on the cheek several times 'You are awesome'

'I know, I know' Britt laughed.

Judy squeezed Quinn's shoulder and kissed her forehead 'That's wonderful, girls!'

'Thank you so much, Britt' Rachel said, wiping a few tears 'Thank you so much'

'Just get that part and we'll be okay' both girls laughed 'I'm gonna call Santana and celebrate'

'I haven't even auditioned!' Rachel replied

'That was euphemism' Quinn explained

'Oh. Okay, then I hope you guys celebrate a lot' she laughed

Britt stood up and took her sport bag, heading to her bedroom.

'Rachel, good luck, sweetheart. You'll do great' Judy said

'Thank you Judy' she replied 'Quinn…' she whispered

'Rach' she smiled at her 'you'll get it, babe' she encouraged her, smiling fondly at her, brushing the screen of the laptop as if it was her skin.

Rachel brushed longingly the screen

'I gotta get flight tickets'


	14. Chapter 14

Quinn kissed Rachel's nape, running her lips through her neck, while she thrust her fingers deep inside her. Rachel's moans grew louder with her upcoming orgasm and all she could manage to do was clench the bed sheets and jerk her hips frantically. She collapsed onto the bed, gasping for a breath. Quinn brushed her lips over her lower back, trailing kisses up her spine. She removed the hair over the back of her neck and pecked it softly.

'God, I needed this so badly' she whispered in her ear.

Rachel chuckled, still catching her breath, and turned around slowly, surrounded by Quinn's arms.

'Only you?' she quirked up her eyebrow. Quinn giggled and looked fondly into her eyes. Rachel cupped her face and lifted her head to kiss her.

Quinn pulled apart and kissed her neck 'I needed to hear your beautiful voice' she reached her earlobe and sucked it. Rachel smiled and gaped at the contact and held her tightly 'Moaning and cursing.'

Rachel giggled. She also needed the sound of Quinn's voice in her ear, soft and sweet. She could whisper anything, the silliest or stupidest of things and still she would feel a current of arousal running through her entire body. She ran her hand down her back and placed her leg between Quinn's. She cupped her neck and kissed her fiercely. She jerked up her hips and pushed Quinn's ass down so that she rubbed her center with her thigh. Quinn moaned in her mouth.

'You're insatiable, babe' she chuckled, sucking her lower lip.

'I'll need supplies' Quinn frowned with curiosity. Rachel smirked and caressed her cheek 'I need to ask you a favor'

'What is it?' she sank her elbow on the mattress and rested her head on her hand, lightly brushing Rachel's arm with her other hand.

'No sex tomorrow'

Quinn chuckled, looked at her with a frown and laughed. Though Rachel was also chuckling, she could see she was serious 'What?' she blurted out 'Why?' she asked a bit desperate.

Rachel laughed and cupped her cheeks to give her a kiss 'Honey, I need my rest. It's…' she reached out for the cell and checked the time 'almost 3 in the morning! And my legs are shaking! If we have sex tomorrow what time do you think we'll fall asleep?'

'I'll behave, I promise!' Quinn pouted.

'I need to rest before my big audition' she replied softly.

Quinn pouted again, but her features were more relaxed 'Okay' she buried her face in the crook of her neck. She ran her hand down her stomach and in between her legs and kissed her neck 'Then…' she rubbed softly her clit 'you're gonna need supplies'

Rachel giggled and released a light moan when she felt Quinn's fingers running her entrance.

During the day, Rachel exercised and did vocal warming while Quinn worked on an essay due on a couple of days. Her last essay and her last test before the summer holidays.

Rachel practiced her scales and arpeggios while showering and helping Quinn prepare breakfast. Quinn listened to her and smiled when she started all over again.

Britt joined them for breakfast before going to the filming studio.

'When do you finish?' Rachel asked Britt.

'Next week. Well, I finish next week, but they keep shooting' she replied sipping from her coffee 'How's your audition going?'

'Fine. I've been rehearsing 'Don't rain on my parade' and 'On my own' these past days'

'On my own?' Britt inquired.

'From Les Mis. I sang it for my glee club audition. It's one of my lucky songs'

'Great' Britt smiled.

Quinn finished her breakfast and stood up to take her mug and plate to the sink. She rubbed Rachel's shoulder.

'I'll be in the living room working' she leaned down and kissed her on the forehead 'See ya, Britt'

'See ya, Q'

Once she was out of the kitchen, Britt smirked at Rachel.

'What?' Rachel asked with curiosity.

'Nah' she teased and smirked again, making Rachel pout and insist 'Nothing. It's just that she loves you'

Rachel beamed 'You think so?' she asked a bit surprised.

'Sure.' She replied chewing her cereals 'I've seen her with other girls. You know, hooking up and stuff. And she was always so awkward.' she explained.

Rachel smiled 'How was it with Carla?'

'She was comfortable around her. And the other girls that had spent the night here or have spent time with us, they were awkward too' Rachel was still smiling 'That's why I know. She would never do that with someone she didn't love.'

'Do what?'

'Leave you here having breakfast with me or with any of us. She would stay with the girl as if she needed protection or something' she laughed 'I don't bite' she shrugged.

'No, you don't' Rachel joined.

'I only bite San, but you know, just because she's San'

Rachel laughed warmly 'You know, the first time we met I had the feeling that you were really sweet and kind. And you haven't made me change my opinion yet.'

'Thanks' she smiled and shrugged as if it wasn't true 'When we met, I remember San told me that Quinn had met a new girl and I was like 'Psst'' Rachel laughed and threw the paper napkin at her 'It's true!' she laughed 'When I arrived and saw you here and then she came, she looked so calm and relaxed. I don't know, it was a good sign. She trusts you. And so do I.'

'Aw' Rachel took Britt's hand and squeezed it 'Thank you' she smiled widely at her 'This makes me really happy'

Britt smiled back at her. She looked at her watch 'I should go' she stood up and gave Rachel a quick hug 'I'm staying at San's so I'll see you guys tomorrow' she took her bowl and put it in the sink. Rachel mimicked her.

'Okay. See you tomorrow then'

'Good luck with the audition!'

'Thank you!' she replied while both of them got out of the kitchen.

Rachel went to the living room and watched Quinn from the door. She had her earphones on and she was reading a paper sheet, focused on its content. She approached her quietly, trying not to distract her. Quinn looked up at her when she was a few steps away. Rachel smiled when she caught her attention. She stood behind her and wrapped her neck with her arms, placing a kiss on her cheek.

'Do you want me to rehearse in your room? I don't want to disturb you.'

'You don't disturb me. You have more space here if you need to move and dance.' she rubbed her arm and Rachel hugged her tightly. 'Plus, listening to you is perfect background music'

'You have your earphones on!' she patted her shoulder playfully and laughed.

'That's only for when I need to watch a video for my essay!' she defended herself and tried to tickle her.

Rachel grabbed her hands 'Stop it!' she giggled and pecked her head 'C'mon. Go on' she let go of her hands and squeezed her shoulders.

'A kiss to cheer me up' Quinn demanded and Rachel leaned down and kissed her sweetly.

The morning passed quickly, both girls immerse in their tasks. The lyrics of 'Don't rain on my parade' and 'On my own' flew through the living room while Quinn typed on her laptop and read from some books and papers.

Rachel cooked so that Quinn could keep on working.

'Which song are you singing?'

'I still don't know yet. Any ideas?' Rachel gave her a plate and took hers to the table of the kitchen.

'I think you should sing 'Don't rain on my parade', you'll blow them away'

'You think so?' Rachel asked shyly.

Quinn smiled, setting the cutlery 'I know'

Rachel bit her lip and laughed. Quinn got closer and kissed her.

'Mmm' Quinn hummed 'Why have you prepared lunch when I can eat you?' she attacked her neck with kisses and soft bites.

Rachel giggled and pulled apart 'Uh-huh. What have I told you?' Quinn pouted but Rachel shook her head. The blonde rolled her eyes and groaned, frustrated.

When Rachel was distracted again she held her by the waist and buried her face in her neck, kissing it and making roaring noises.

'Quinn!' she laughed, still taken aback by the sudden attack. Quinn kissed her neck, reaching her earlobe, making Rachel release a deep moan.

'Just a little bit' she whispered in her ear while she held her by the thighs and lifted her upon the table.

Rachel held her by the waist with one hand, the other holding onto the table to keep her in place 'We're gonna break the plates' she giggled softly.

Quinn looked over Rachel's shoulder and pulled away to pick them up and place them on the counter. She hurried back to Rachel, setting herself between her legs again. Rachel laughed and cupped her cheeks to kiss her.

'But no monkey business tonight. Promise?'

'I promise' she whispered in her mouth 'No monkey' she sucked her lower lip 'business'

Rachel slid her tongue in between her lips, moaning when it found Quinn's.

Moments later, Rachel found it difficult to eat her salad wrap while catching her breath.

'It tastes better now' said Quinn, taking a bite from her wrap and smirking at her breathlessness.

'The batter's already co-' she remembered Quinn's face between her legs and got the innuendo. Quinn giggled at how her poker face turned red and then it tilted down in embarrassment. 'We're so going to burn in hell when we die'

Quinn laughed and Rachel joined.

'It wouldn't be that bad' Quinn began shyly 'if we're together'

Rachel gaped, her lips twitching into a smile. She chuckled, paying attention to the way Quinn blushed, marveled at the simple yet meaningful statement.

She decided whether to get up and kiss the hell out of her or just say something equally simple yet meaningful. She got up, stood behind her, wrapped her and kissed her cheek.

'It'd be better than heaven' she whispered and pecked her again.

Quinn giggled, ducking her head down 'You bring out my romantic self'

Rachel pulled apart and sat back down 'I like it' she smiled at her.

Quinn kept working on her laptop while Rachel switched on hers and sat at the table with her. She made herself a tea, with lemon and honey, and sat across from Quinn, checking her mail and looking up videos of Broadway performances. She replied to a mail from Kurt who wished her good luck and told her he missed her.

Every now and then Rachel would glance at Quinn and just take in the beauty of the girl she had in front of her. The concentrate face she had, looking at her screen, the way she held her chin with her thumb, tapping her lips thoughtfully with her pointer and middle fingers. Quinn caught her watching her and smirked.

'Aren't you supposed to be rehearsing?' she teased.

'I'm having tea with lemon and honey; that should tell you something!' she replied 'Plus, I'm memorizing my soliloquy.

Quinn wrapped her ankles around Rachel's under the table, as if she was holding them hostages, while Rachel fought back in laughter.

As night arrived, Rachel was feeling nervous and sleepy at the same time, which was a battle that nerves always won. The thing was that Rachel hadn't really been nervous before an audition except for the ones she had had in New York. The time she auditioned for the role of Blanche DuBois she was nervous because something inside her told her she wouldn't get it and she just wasn't very used to _not_ getting parts in musicals and plays. But that same something told her that she had to be realistic and that she was in New York City, auditioning for a role in Broadway, the Mecca of theater, and there were lots of talented people out there hungry for the same part. So that little blow would make a perfect anecdote in the future when she'd have to tell the story of her life to her grandchildren. She would also tell her grandchildren that thanks to that little blow she met their other granny. The thought made her smile. She remembered the time Quinn admitted that she imagined scenarios where both of them were happy and together and in that moment, watching her from across the table with such natural manner, she knew she loved her.

She stood up and walked beside her. She rubbed her shoulders gently.

'It's late, Quinn. You should get some sleep.' she pecked her forehead sweetly.

Quinn placed her arm around her legs, resting her head on her belly. Rachel ran her fingers through her hair, with soothing strokes.

'I'm gonna stay a little bit more. I'm almost, almost,' she emphasized 'almost finished' she looked up at her and smiled 'Go to bed if you want. I don't want you to stay up because of me. Tomorrow's your big day'

Rachel smiled with a nod and kissed her one more time on the forehead. Quinn lifted her face to meet her lips.

'Good night' Quinn breathed out 'I won't take long'

'Okay' she caressed her cheek and kissed her once again 'Good night'

After Quinn switched off her laptop and piled up her books and notebooks she stepped carefully into the bedroom, almost tip-toeing, just in case Rachel was asleep. She got into bed and snuggled up to Rachel, spooning her and nuzzling her hair until she was comfortably settled.

When Rachel woke up Quinn was on her stomach, her breath still and even, her features soft and relaxed. She reached for her phone and checked the time. She groaned and fell back down to the bed. For a couple of minutes she tossed and turned anxiously, her heart pounding as if she'd had a gallon of coffee.

She stood up trying not to wake Quinn up and walked to the kitchen. She poured herself some water and took the glass to the bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, sipping from the glass and taking deep breaths to steady her heart. She felt the movement of the other girl behind her. Quinn sat up on her elbows to find Rachel sitting with her head down, her gaze fixated on the glass. She frowned in concern when she realized it was still dark. She reached for her phone to check the time. 3:36. She crawled beside Rachel.

'I'm sorry I woke you up' the brunette apologized.

Quinn wrapped her waist with one arm, the other supporting the weight of her body. She rested her chin on her shoulder 'What's wrong?' she whispered softly.

'I can't sleep' she whispered back. Quinn brushed off her bangs and rubbed her back up and down, waiting for Rachel to let it all out 'I'm nervous' she sighed.

Quinn noticed her tense muscles as she stroke her back.

'And scared too'

'Why? You'll do great'

Rachel shrugged 'What will happen if I don't get it? It will be so frustrating…' she trailed off. Quinn kissed her cheek.

'You don't have to worry about it, Rach'

'If I get it' she interrupted 'I could move here. And not only I could be with you, but I could finally make my dream come true' Rachel's eyes were misty, but she managed to keep the tears away 'I need it, Quinn. I need to be here. I need to be on a stage, in front of an audience. I need to be with you…' she rattled off 'If I fail, it all will vanish. Again.' she turned her gaze away from Quinn, batting her eyelashes to avoid the tears from gathering in her eyes.

Quinn slid off the bed and kneeled down in front of her, setting the glass on the night table and taking her hands gently.

'It won't, Rachel' she assured her 'You can move in with me. We'll share the rent; I'll help you find a job. You just have to say yes' her eyes were pleading.

'There's not a lot of space here' she looked around and sniffed.

'Even if I lived in a twenty square meters apartment I would make room for you' she looked straight into her eyes 'Always' Rachel took in the sincerity of her words as a timid tear rolled down her face 'And you could audition for other shows. You wouldn't have to worry about getting a flight on time. It'd be easier, don't you think so?'

She nodded and smiled at her and caressed her cheeks devotedly. Quinn stood up, holding onto the edge of the bed, and kissed her sweetly.

'I think I have the perfect solution to your nerves' she smiled, her lips a few inches away from Rachel's.

'No monkey business, Quinn' she chuckled, making Quinn giggle.

'It's not that!' she pecked her and opened the closet and ducked inside looking for something. After a few moments she closed the door of the closet and turned to Rachel, holding out a plastic bottle.

'A massage'

Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise. In grateful surprise. She grinned and clapped her hands lightly. Quinn giggled and told her to take off her t-shirt. Rachel complied and lay down on her stomach, waiting for her to commence.

Quinn straddled her thighs and set the bottle on the night table after pouring some oil on her hand. She started from her lower back, stroking her way up, circling with her thumbs her tense skin.

'Mmm' moaned Rachel.

'Britt says I do wonders with my hands'

Rachel giggled, thinking about other type of wonders 'I totally agree' Quinn chuckled.

Quinn stroked up her backbone, spreading out to the sides, listening to Rachel's relieved moans. She kept on until she reached the skin between her blades.

'Wow' Quinn exclaimed 'You've got some serious knots in here'

'I know' Rachel mumbled.

Quinn dug her fingers in order to relax the tense muscles on her back. She chuckled at Rachel's painful groans.

'If it hurts it works' she stated.

Rachel let out another groan when Quinn hit a certain contracture 'It works so much!'

The blonde went on massaging her, the groans finally becoming more like pleasure moans.

After some more minutes of stroking her back, Quinn bent down and pecked her nape and brushed her shoulder.

'I finished'

Rachel pouted, making Quinn giggle. She got off Rachel and put the bottle of oil back in the closet. Rachel sat up and put her t-shirt on again. She sighed.

'Wow. I feel like I'm empty'

Quinn laughed 'What?' she asked bemusedly.

'Yeah, as if I had nothing inside me and I could float' she explains, lying down on the bed 'Yeah, I'm floating like a feather'

Quinn laughed 'You sound stoned' Rachel giggled, still too light-headed, spreading her arms out as if she wanted to take in the world surrounding her 'I'm going to wash my hands' she informed as she got out of the room.

Rachel was more relaxed when Quinn came back from the bathroom. She had a peaceful smile on her face and her eyes shut. Quinn looked at her when she got to the bed and smiled down at her. She leaned down and kissed her, catching Rachel off-guard. She got into bed and spread out her arm, gesturing at Rachel so that she would rest on her chest.

'C'mere' she whispered and Rachel snuggled up against Quinn's body 'Feeling better?'

Rachel nodded and placed a kiss on her neck 'Where did you learn that?'

'Tina and I attended a massage course at the campus last year'

'Mmm. Good to know' she trailed off.

Quinn wrapped her in her arms and began brushing her hair softly so as to calm her. Rachel's nervousness soon faded away as her slumber took over her body.


	15. Chapter 15

'**Is she already in?'**

'_Nope, we're still waiting'_

'**Ok. Tell her we say hi and good luck'**

'Britt and San say hi and good luck' Quinn turned her gaze to Rachel, who smiled at the message. She mouthed a thank you, which was repeated by Quinn via text message.

'**We're calling Puck to come over later'**

'**To celebrate'**

'**I'll tell him to bring booze'**

Quinn giggled and Rachel eyed her with curiosity.

'Britt says they're calling Puck to celebrate'

Rachel raised her eyebrows amused 'I haven't even auditioned yet!' she giggled. She pouted and rested her head on Quinn's shoulder.

'You know, Britt's really excited about this' said Quinn, taking her hand in between hers.

'Really?'

'Yeah. Before you arrived the other day she told me the first person she thought of when Gary told her about the workshop was you and that she really wanted you to get the part.'

'What's her favorite meal? I think I'm gonna cook it for her as a thank you'

Quinn giggled 'She's a mac and cheese girl'

A brown-haired man got out of the room, checking into a sheet of paper 'Rachel Berry?' he shouted.

Rachel stood up hurriedly, almost stumbling with her chair. Quinn got up too handing her the résumé. Rachel grabbed it nervously and looked at her releasing a deep breath. Quinn cupped her face and kissed her 'Go get'em, babe' she whispered and let her run into the room.

Quinn waited patiently, texting Britt, who was with Santana, and Puck every now and then. They were excited about Rachel getting the part. She remembered how proud they all were when Britt was hired as the choreographer of that video she worked in months ago. Britt lights up when she dances, she thought, and being paid for that, for doing what makes you feel alive is the most beautiful and rewarding thing she could think of. She imagined Rachel's face glowing like the shiniest star while rehearsing for her show. It made her smile until her face muscles ached. She lights up when she sings and illuminates the world.

'**Q, can u buy some milk when u get home?'**

'_Why don't you buy it?'_

'**We're kinda busy…'**

Quinn rolled her eyes.

'_Okay'_

'_lol'_

She looked at her watch. 'Don't rain on my parade' lasted less than three minutes and her soliloquy wouldn't take her too long but maybe they ask her to do something else. She didn't know how auditions worked as she had never been to one before. She was impatiently fidgeting with the strap of her bag. If she takes too long maybe it means something good, she thought. She knew Rachel was nervous, but she was just as nervous; she even considered praying to all the gods she knew.

There were a couple of girls waiting for their turn; they were rehearsing their lines in whispers. They cast a deadly glance at her every now and then and she gave them the Fabray deadly glare, eyebrow quirk included. That'll teach'em, she thought.

The door opened after what seemed like ages and a small beautiful brunette appeared. She approached her with a smile and her heart skipped a beat.

'How's it been?' she asked Rachel impatiently as soon as she got to where she was waiting.

'I don't know' she whispered 'But at least they didn't cut me in the middle of my scene. And they were smiling after the song' she said cheerfully 'One of them was even crying! Well, I saw him wiping something from his eyes, so I assumed it was a tear' she chuckled.

Quinn beamed as she was listening to Rachel's report of the audition. She hugged her tightly and gave her a little peck on the neck.

'That's great, babe!' she cupped her cheeks and grinned, watching how her eyes lit up.

'Now I just have to wait for the callback' she replied with a hopeful smile.

They grabbed their things and went out of the waiting room. Rachel surrounded Quinn's waist with her arm as Quinn rested her arm around her neck.

'Wanna eat something? I'm kinda hungry' suggested Quinn.

'I'm still nervous, but I'll eat something'

They headed to a bar near the building where the auditions took place. It was a sandwich bar and Quinn was astounded by the wide variety of bread and ingredients they had.

'Wow, this is better than Subway. It's like heaven' she giggled, taking a look at the menu offers.

Rachel walked behind her and smiled. She rubbed gently her back up and down with both hands and kissed the skin between her blades. 'I'll go get a table' Quinn turned around to face her 'Just pick something light for me, will you?' Quinn nodded and pecked her.

After ordering a chicken with goat cheese and honey mustard sauce sandwich for her and a tomato, lettuce and asparagus one for Rachel, she paid and carried the tray towards the table where Rachel was at. When she approached the table, she was speaking on the phone. She looked at her and frowned when she saw her mouth hanging open and her eyes almost popping out of their sockets. She set the tray on the table and watched her attentively until she eventually hung up the phone. She twitched her lips into a smile, which got wider every second.

'I got it…' she whispered, astonished, looking towards Quinn, but not really looking _at_ her.

'What?' Quinn breathed out, her mouth forming a smile.

'I got it' she replied, her eyes finally focused on the blonde 'I got the part!' she jumped in her arms with a squeal. Quinn laughed enthusiastically, holding her closer 'I got it!' she shouted as Quinn twirled her around.

'You got it!' she repeated full of pride as she settled her back down on the floor. She cupped her face and pulled her into a kiss. Rachel held her by the back of the neck to keep her in place and deepened the kiss 'Fuck! You got it!' she said when she broke the kiss.

'I have to go back to talk with the casting director and the director too'

Quinn nodded and took her hand 'C'mon' she beamed and Rachel mirrored her, forgetting their meals as they left.

After a long talk to the directors, who explained to her very quickly where and when they'd start rehearsals and when she would have to sign her contract.

The way back home was full of smiles, grins, kisses, hugs and laughter. Quinn would look at Rachel and marveled at the happiness and joy she exuded and Rachel would look at her and thanked all the gods she knew for having her and thanked her for becoming her pillar, her rock, her inspiration.

Britt, Santana and Puck were already there when they arrived home. They hugged Rachel proudly as she shared smiles with everyone.

They had a light dinner, chatting and talking about Rachel's new future, about how thankful was Rachel to Britt for talking to Gary about her and about how everything had changed in the last months.

'Do you remember that morning you woke me up' Puck asked Quinn while they were serving some drinks in the kitchen 'and you told me you two had a fight and she was gone?'

Quinn ducked her head down and chuckled at the memory. She was so scared she might never she Rachel again, the very thought of it made her cringe.

'Now look at you two' he held her by the shoulders and smiled at her 'About to start a new life here. Together at last' Quinn grinned and hugged him tightly.

'I'm so excited…and nervous and, and…' she rambled, making Puck laugh.

They went back to the living room with the drinks and made a toast for Rachel and continued their little celebration party.

Some hours later, Puck left and Britt headed to Santana's house. While Quinn closed the door, Rachel piled up the glasses and dishes on the sink.

'Leave them, we'll wash them tomorrow' Quinn wrapped her arms around her waist and pecked her on the shoulder.

'Just a sec' Rachel giggled and turned around when she had put the glasses aside.

Quinn smiled at her as Rachel placed her arms around her neck and pulled her into a kiss. She deepened the kiss as Quinn's hands roamed over her body. As their tongues fought, Quinn slid her hand inside her t-shirt, running it up and down her side. A light moan slipped out of Rachel's mouth, which made Quinn grab her ass, pulling her closer.

'Let's go to the room' Rachel whispered.

'Why?' groaned Quinn while running her mouth up her neck 'It's too far'

'Do you want to spend the whole night on the kitchen floor?' she smirked.

Quinn raised her eyebrows and smirked back. She held her by the thighs and lifted her to carry her to the room.

She settled her carefully on the bed; the brunette sank her knees on the edge of the mattress, in front of Quinn, who was still standing. Rachel cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

'Do you remember our first time?' she whispered looking into Quinn's eyes.

Quinn nodded as she rolled up Rachel's t-shirt. She threw it away when she finally took it off 'I was so freaking nervous' she chuckled as she kissed her.

'You?' she giggled 'What about me? I was freaking out!' she caressed softly her jawbone.

'I know you were' she rested her forehead against hers 'And adorably shy. It was really cute' she kissed her nose, her lips and her chin to finally attack her neck.

Rachel grabbed the hem of Quinn's t-shirt and pulled it over her head. The brunette unclasped Quinn's bra and dropped it on the floor. She cupped her breasts with her hands and leaned down to suck one of her nipples, which sent shivers down Quinn's spine. The blonde's hands roamed over her body, reaching for her jeans, clumsily trying to unbutton them. Rachel let go of her nipple to focus on the other one. She took it into her mouth and ran her tongue around it as she sucked it tightly.

'Fuck…' Quinn hissed dropping her head on Rachel's shoulder. She tried to take off her bra and after a few attempts she finally accomplished it. She held her by the back of her neck and sucked her earlobe, pulling her head up to kiss her lips.

Rachel unzipped the blonde's jeans and pulled them down as Quinn took her legs out of them with effort. Rachel did the same with her own jeans. She lied back down to let Quinn help her take them off. The blonde leaned on top of her, her arms supporting her weight and her legs surrounding her hips, and kissed her once again.

Rachel held up her hands and ran them down her chest, caressing her stomach down to her thighs. Quinn was sucking her neck, running her tongue up and down when she felt Rachel's thumbs skimming up her inner thighs and slipping between the hem of her pants to meet her center. She rocked her hips as a reflex as she moaned into her neck. She kept rocking her hips unconsciously at the soft touch. Rachel tugged at her pants and pulled them down as Quinn was shimmying out of them; they were getting in her way.

When she had already taken off her pants, Rachel crawled down on her back until her face was between her knees, facing her center. Quinn looked down wondering where she was going and her mind collapsed when Rachel grabbed her ass cheeks and pulled her in, with a kiss on her clit, followed by a light and teasing lick, which made Quinn forget what the word 'wonder' meant.

Rachel held tightly onto her ass to keep her in place as she slowly ran her tongue up and down her folds surrounding her entrance to later suck on her clit. Quinn's thighs tightened around Rachel's face with every contact. The brunette smirked every time Quinn would press her thighs, barely leaving her space. Quinn fisted the sheets, almost collapsing on the bed, trying to keep herself in place, but failing at every lick. She rocked her hips, meeting Rachel's mouth and tongue every time. Rachel moved her hand to add more stimulation. She knew she'd had a good idea when she heard her moaning gutturally.

She thrust a finger inside her and kept it there, while capturing her clit with her lips. She felt her walls clenching and tightening around her finger and the more and more frantic movements of Quinn that barely allowed her listening to her more's and please's. She complied with her wishes and added one more finger, in and out, following a rhythmic pace. Hearing Quinn moaning, cursing and humping her face like there was no tomorrow turned her the hell on and made her wet.

She wanted to give her everything. She yanked out her fingers and took her hand to her clit and started circling slowly. She licked her way down to her entrance, running her tongue around it, which made Quinn rock and jerk her entire body. Just a few seconds later she had her tongue inside, trapped by her walls as Quinn collapsed in the sweet agony of her orgasm.

Rachel crawled down again to free herself from Quinn's thigh grip. When she turned to face her, she saw her lying on her stomach, heaving, her legs shaking. She smirked, wiping her mouth, and crept on top of her, kissing her back on the way, until she reached her shoulder.

'Did you like it?' she whispered in her ear.

Quinn let out a shaky chuckle 'Fuck' she breathed out 'That was…the best…thing ever' she replied between gasps.

'We should do that again' Rachel smirked and kissed her neck softly.

'Totally' she let out.

Quinn managed to turn around and caught sight of Rachel. Her chin was glimmering a bit and she reached out to wipe it clean. Rachel laughed at the gesture.

'Sorry. I kinda lost control' Quinn giggled shyly.

Rachel quirked up her eyebrow playfully 'You're kidding, right?' she smiled and pecked her 'It was fucking hot' she smirked at the memory 'having you humping my face like crazy' she licked her lips seductively.

Quinn grabbed her by the waist and sat up, Rachel straddling her, holding onto her shoulders to keep balance. She kissed her sweetly and fondly. Rachel broke the kiss and looked straight into her eyes, her smile never fading away. Quinn brushed off her bangs with such tenderness it made Rachel's heart skip a beat.

Rachel caressed her forehead, running her fingers through her eyebrows, gently closing the blonde's eyelids with her fingertips. There's a thing about love, she thought, where you want to caress and kiss every inch of her body, every feature, as if trying to memorize it with your hands and your lips or as if reading some secret written in braille. That desire of having her body engraved in her palms and realizing that it was a bidirectional sensation: one touched, but both of them felt it, skin to skin.

Quinn couldn't stop kissing her neck, her collarbone, her breasts. She couldn't stop running her hands up and down her spine, through her stomach, down her arms. Her lips were everywhere, every trace of skin available to her touch. Soon her mouth was capturing her nipple, tugging and nipping it, sucking it and circling it with her tongue, driving Rachel crazy. Her hand was travelling south, making its way between Rachel's thighs. Quinn could feel her swollen clit against her fingers, throbbing and twitching with every touch. Rachel tilted her head back in pleasure, sensing Quinn's fingers rubbing her center to finally get inside her, which made her release a deep moan. Quinn took advantage of the exposed skin of her neck and kissed it open-mouthedly, running the tip of her tongue up to her jawbone. Rachel didn't notice she was rocking her hips frantically, meeting Quinn's hand every time, her whole body reaching her climax. It came as thunder that ran throughout her entire body and exploded between her legs. All the things she felt, all of her emotions were raised to the infinity power.

Rachel rocked her hips once again as her breath steadied. Quinn heard her panting and sniffing in her ear. Rachel was holding her neck tightly, hiding her face in her collarbone. Quinn noticed she was still sniffing, even harder. She frowned with concern and pulled apart to look at her. She cupped her cheek softly and realized she had tears in her eyes.

'What's wrong?' she asked in a whisper 'Why are you crying?'

Rachel chuckled, sniffing and wiping off the tears that were falling down. She pecked her and looked into her eyes.

'Thank you so much Quinn' she blurted out, tears still rolling down. Quinn frowned, not fully understanding why she thanked her 'For changing my life' she smiled 'for the better'

Quinn smiled, but shook her head lightly 'No, Rachel. I didn't change anything. You were meant… you were born for this' she brushed off her bangs and caressed her cheek with her thumb 'You were gonna do this with or without me'

'But you changed me' she replied softly 'You helped me believe in myself again. You helped me see things with different eyes. You make me feel important and valuable' she smiled and looked at her with misty eyes 'And that's all the strength I need.' Rachel kissed her fondly 'You make me feel invincible' Quinn looked at her with bright eyes and smiled. She kissed her and pulled her close, both lying back down on the mattress.

'I love you'

Rachel beamed when she heard the words from Quinn's mouth.

'I love you too, Quinn'

They kissed once again before Rachel rested her head on Quinn's chest, running her fingers lightly over her breast and her stomach. Quinn wrapped her in her arms, brushing her arm gently and intertwining her fingers in her hair.

'Can I ask you something?' Quinn spoke.

'Sure'

'Would you sing something for me?'

Rachel raised her head to look at her 'Now?' Quinn nodded 'Like a lullaby?'

'Yes' Quinn chuckled and Rachel grinned.

'Which song do you want?'

'Surprise me' Quinn giggled.

Rachel sank her elbow on the mattress and rested her head on her palm. She started humming in thought 'Mmm, let's see'

After a few seconds, Rachel raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth when she thought of the song she was about to sing. She cleared her throat and started.

'_Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?_' Rachel started singing in a very soft and sweet voice_ 'Just like me, they long to be close to you.'_ Quinn beamed at the song choice_ 'Why do stars fall down from the sky every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be close to you.'_ She tapped her pointer and middle finger on her stomach as if they were walking over Quinn's stomach_ 'On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true.' _Quinn giggled as the fingers reached her face_ 'So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold' _she caressed her hair locks_ 'and starlight in your eyes of blue… hazel' _she corrected as she lightly brushed her eyelids making Quinn giggle_ 'That is why all the girls in town follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be close to you.'_ She tapped the skin of her chest following the rhythm 'Da-da-da, da, da-da, da-da' Quinn joined during the bridge. They giggled and continued until Rachel sang again '_On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true'_ she intertwined her fingers with Quinn's as she mouthed the words of the song along with Rachel_ 'So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of hazel' _the blonde giggled at the change of the lyrics. She joined and sang the last lines of the song with Rachel_ 'That is why all the girls in town follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be close to you'_

Quinn laughed at the end of the song and clapped her hands enthusiastically. Rachel gave her a kiss on her cheek and the blonde turned her face to kiss her on the lips. Rachel rested her head on her chest once again and held her tightly.

'That was so sweet' Quinn stated 'Thank you'

'That song came on my iPod when I was on my way to New York and you instantly came to my mind' she admitted.

Quinn smiled and pecked her on the forehead. She resumed her little massage until they finally fell asleep. Skin to skin. Soul to soul.

If there was a turning point in their relationship that day would be it. The day Rachel got her first role on Broadway. The day they said 'I love you' for the first time, their feelings materialized in words. The day their lives changed. The day it was all settled.

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><p><strong>Song: (They long to be) Close to you – The Carpenters<strong>

**A/N: Next chapter will be the last :( Hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing :) Thank you for your reviews, follows and favorites; I really, really, really appreciate it :)**


	16. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Puck and Anne were walking down the steps, ushered by a young dark-haired girl. Santana and Britt waved at them until they made eye contact with the girls.

'I can't believe Puck asked her out' Santana whispered to Britt 'I mean, like…' she frowned, thinking of the words to say 'seriously?'

Quinn and her mother sat by them.

'I can't believe she said yes' Britt replied.

Quinn leaned over her mother so that her friends could hear her 'Who are you gossiping about?'

'Puck and Anne' replied Santana and Quinn laughed.

'It was about time that he settles down' Quinn said with a chuckle 'But if Rachel has any kind of problem with Anne because of him, I'll cut his balls off'

Judy turned her head around to look at the couple walking towards them 'Is she Rachel's roommate?'

'Yes' Quinn replied.

'They make a good couple' stated Judy.

'The most unsettling thing is that it's true' Santana said, still bemused.

'How did they meet, honey?' Judy asked Quinn.

'One day Rachel invited us over to show them the apartment' she nodded at both girls 'and Anne was there too. She and Puck got along from the beginning'

'And ever since they met, whenever we hung out they were glued to each other' Santana added.

'Last Saturday…' Quinn began, but paused to think 'Was it Saturday or Friday?' she turned to Santana and Britt.

'Saturday' they both replied at the same time.

'That's right. Well, last Saturday they went on a date. Like an official date.' Quinn raised her eyebrows as to emphasize her words 'And apparently they spent the night together.'

Judy was listening attentively at the explanation of Puck and Anne's relationship. Rachel and Quinn decided not to live together as the brunette didn't want to take up the little space Quinn had in her apartment, so she just stayed at Quinn's until she found some other place. By that time, Anne was looking for roommates as her last one had finished his degree and had been given a scholarship to study in Europe. Rachel found the ad about a week after moving to New York and set a meeting with her. It was perfect for Rachel: it wasn't very expensive so she could manage to pay the first months with her savings, and the money she earned from the workshop –and now Broadway show- was more than enough to pay the rent. Also she and Anne had become good friends, so Rachel was more than happy with it.

'We're not sure, because Rachel was at our place that night' Britt added.

Puck and Anne arrived at the row of seats and greeted them. Quinn smiled at Puck; they may mock his now settled and responsible attitude, but deep inside she was very happy for him. Puck noticed the meaning of her gesture and smiled back in gratitude.

Moments later, two men and a black girl approached them.

'Quinn!' the two men called her. She turned her gaze to see Rachel's dads and Mercedes. She stood up smiling.

'Hey!' she struggled to hug the two men in the narrow space between seat rows.

'Hey, dear!' Leroy said cheerfully. Hiram was second on the hugging line. Mercedes waved at her shyly. They'd met via Skype so it was the first time they see each other in person.

'Hi, girl!' Mercedes leaned over to hug her too.

'Hi! So great to finally meet you!'

'Yeah! Tonight we have the perfect excuse' replied Mercedes with a huge grin.

Quinn turned to her friends and began the introductions.

'Guys, this is Mercedes, Rachel's friend and her dads, Hiram and Leroy'

The three of them waved and said their respective hi's and nice to meet you's.

'And these are our friends' she pointed at each other as she was saying their names 'Santana. Britt. Puck and you already know Anne' Mercedes nodded as they had already been introduced via Skype too. Quinn then gestured at her mother, who stood up to shake their hands 'And this is my mom, Judy'

They all settled on their seats and waited for the lights to go off and the curtain to draw open.

Quinn's stomach clenched in excitement and anticipation. Though she had seen Rachel rehearse some of the songs in her free time, she was really secretive about the whole show, so getting to finally see all of it was exciting. And seeing Rachel on her first opening night was thrilling to say the least. After months of hard work the director and producers managed to get the big push into the Broadway scene. Knowing the date of the opening night was another amazing news for Rachel.

When the first act was over, they got out to stretch their legs and get to properly greet each other.

Mercedes and Quinn chatted about her trip to New York from LA and how happy Mercedes was for Rachel.

'I just wish Kurt was here' said Mercedes.

'Yeah, Rachel would go crazy' Quinn giggled.

'I already took a pic of the marquee and sent it to him'

Judy was talking to Rachel's dads, congratulating them for her talent.

'Well, we're not responsible for her voice after all' Hiram replied.

'Oh, but you're responsible for her determination in developing that talent. She's told me how supportive you always were'

Leroy sighed 'Our little girl's so grown up. Look how far she's come' he placed his hand on his chest and Hiram put his arm around his shoulder and rubbed it soothingly.

Quinn and Mercedes joined Santana, Britt, Puck and Anne in their conversation.

'Hey!' Anne gave Mercedes two kisses 'So nice to meet you! Rachel talks a lot about her high school besties' she chuckled.

'Aw' replied Mercedes.

Quinn got to Puck and gave him a side hug.

'We were telling her' Britt pointed at Anne 'to get him to shave his mohawk'

Anne giggled 'Nah, I kinda like it' she brushed his hair playfully.

'Sorry girls' replied Puck, casting a glance at her and smiling 'You almost convince me'

A couple of minutes after they had returned to their seats the lights went off again and music started playing as the curtain draw open again.

The closer to the end the show was, the more intense Rachel's songs got. Voices like hers pierce you, she thought. That's how she knew she'd never get tired of it. Maybe it was because it made her feel, and feeling it's what counts. She remembered the time Rachel told her she felt a force controlling her actions when they first met. She felt that force now, invading the room, taking over everyone in the audience, piercing her.

At the end of the last scenes, while everyone was standing and applauding, she had tears in her eyes and she couldn't do anything but smile. A feeling of pride and thrill ran through her entire body as she saw Rachel getting on stage once again to salute the audience, taking a bow as the sound of clapping grew louder and louder.

Once they were out, waiting for everyone to leave, Quinn took a look at her watch and excused herself, heading out of the theater hall. Her friends eyed her in surprise, not knowing what she was up to. A couple of minutes after, she appeared with a bouquet of flowers.

'Where did you get these from?' Puck asked her.

'I got them delivered here' her explanation was followed by a wave of 'aw' and 'sweet', making her blush and hide her face behind the bouquet. She opened her bag and took out a piece of paper, a card, and set it among the flowers 'Well, I'm gonna go see her. We'll meet outside' she informed as she headed to the dressing rooms.

After a little discussion with the security guard that was watching the dressing room and a call to Rachel to ask him to let her in, Quinn was stepping into the room, her hand behind her back, hiding the bouquet.

Rachel turned around, grinning and jumped on her, wrapping her neck with her arms. She still had her makeup on and her hair was combed like her character's. When they pulled away, Quinn looked at her, with sheer and utter love, and with her hand on her waist, she pulled her into a kiss.

'You were breathtaking, babe' she whispered into Rachel's mouth as she smirked.

'I feel like I'm on drugs right now' she giggled when they pulled apart.

Rachel noticed Quinn had her arm behind her back way too long and gesture at it with a curious frown 'What are you hiding?' she almost singsonged.

Quinn quirked up her eyebrows 'Who? Me?' she replied playfully.

Rachel draped her arm around her waist so as to grab her hidden hand but Quinn managed to twirl her around and hold her from behind tightly.

'Close your eyes' she gave her a peck on her neck and look over to see if she had complied. When she checked her eyes were close she held out the bouquet and placed it in front of her 'You can open them now'

When Rachel found the flowers in front of her she gasped in surprise and beamed at her.

'Oh my god…' she trailed off. She ducked her head over the flowers, closing her eyes, to take in their scent.

'You like them?' Quinn asked shyly and let go of her.

Rachel looked at her with bright eyes and nodded. She took a further look at the flowers.

'Gardenias?' she asked 'You secretly love me?' she teased her.

'I love you in so many ways' she whispered, her head tilted to one side.

Rachel grinned brightly and blushed. Her first instinct was to hide in the gardenias, just as Quinn had done previously. She then noticed the card and took it, full of curiosity.

It was a leaf-shaped card, made of what looked like recycled paper, dyed in different shades of brown. On the front side of the card she could read '_Imagine this leaf is my heart_'. Hers skipped a beat. She eyed her quickly with a shy smile and opened the card. She found a text in Quinn's lyric:

_I know you're now recalling the time you thought there was no room for you in my heart._

_There may be literature, music or art, but every book I read reminds me of you. Every song I listen to, I imagine is your voice singing. Every piece of art, I compare it with you._

_You're in my heart in every way, in every form. Not only in my heart, you run through my veins. Like blood, you reach every part of me._

_And for this, for making me feel this alive, I love you (and I am certain that I always will)_

_Your biggest fan,_

_Q._

Rachel let the tears fall down her cheeks. She shut her eyes and took the card to her mouth to both cover her face and kiss the little piece of paper as if it was her. Quinn looked at her and stepped closer to Rachel, who jumped into her arms and buried her face in her neck. The blonde held her tightly, trying not to squash the flowers, and pecked her on the forehead.

'I love you' she whispered.

'I love you too' Quinn replied, cupping her cheeks and pulling her into a sweet and passionate kiss.

Rachel pulled away and looked up at her devotedly, every emotion running high. Watching the girl in front of her, the girl with the perfect smile, the perfect eyes, the perfect body. Sometimes she couldn't believe that girl loved her just as much as she did. But there she was, getting her flowers and writing those things to her on her opening night. She really felt on drugs in that moment. She remembered _The Bridges of Madison County_. She didn't understand what Robert meant when he told Francesca 'this kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime'. Not that she didn't understand, but she'd never felt it, so for her it wasn't real.

But it was real now.

And she was certain that it will always be.

FIN

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! See you soon :)<strong>


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